Married to the Koopa King
by Kaggerz
Summary: After returning from yet another adventure, Peach discovers that her 'sham wedding' to Bowser was, in fact, not a sham at all!  Now she's stuck in a marriage she never dreamed she'd have.  But.. is being Bowser's wife really so bad? BowserxPeach
1. Sham Wedding

Disclamer: The Mario group is a product of Nintendo, not me.

A/N: This is set right after Paper Mario 3, but I do not picture the characters as being in their "paperish" forms. There are mild **SPOILERS, but nothing really past when you first turn on the game! Their wedding happens before you even get to the New Game screen!** Therefore, nothing is spoiled; I was just thinking "Wait.. they got married, so shouldn't they _still_ be married?"

You also don't have to play the game to realize what's going on at all; I explain it pretty well.

* * *

"What do you _mean_ it's legal and binding?" 

Peach huffed, her blue eyes wide with shock. She could not help but gaze dreadfully upon the paper before her, feeling her stomach bottom-out. The wrinkled mushroom in front of her cringed, though expected the reaction. Peering over his wire-rimmed glasses, he caught her gaze with his own. "It was mailed here by officials from our kingdom; it's legal. You both even signed it, and there are numerous witness signatures. By both the Mushroom Kingdom and Darkland standards, you're married."

Princess Peach trembled, feeling light-headed and unable to breathe for a moment. She could feel her knees buckling, and found herself grasping the mushroom's shoulders, fighting to not smash into the ground. A younger mushroom to the side handed her a glass of water, both anticipating her reaction.

"There's.. no way out of it?" she inquired, after forcing a small gulp of water down her constricted throat.

Both mushrooms shook their heads slowly. "I'm sorry, but royal marriages are different than normal ones. Since you're both of royal standing, it's until death."

Peach sank to her knees at last. _Until death?_ It seemed like a nightmare only her.. husband.. could have concocted.

"I'm so sorry Princess.. But, you know.. This means you aren't a princess anymore."

She sucked in a sharp inhale between her clenched teeth, feeling dizzy for a moment. "That's right.. I'm queen of both kingdoms, hm?" The mushroom nodded, though she knew he would. After the arrival of the marriage license, there was always to be the crowning ceremony. It was overdue, but since she _was_ out saving all the worlds and all.. It could be overlooked.

"Yes. Because of your absence, it will have to be tomorrow. There have already been preparations made; the whole kingdom has been informed of your marriage while you were away."

_Of course they have,_ she thought disdainfully, her stomach still doing flip-flops. Her thoughts, however, were not on her new hubby, but rather.. on being queen. Since she was unwed and the last of her bloodline in this part of the Mushroom World, she had been able to retain being a princess. However, the time _had_ grown nigh throughout her adventures and kidnappings for her to wed. Her staff of advisors could only rule in her place for so long before the duty needed to fall on her shoulders.

"Is Toadsworth angry with me?" she softly asked, rather suddenly, the thought of her advisors bringing up the image of her over-protective mentor. The withering mushroom before her shook his head.

"He is worried about you, but not angry. The people are a bit worried as well, but they trust that you will not allow the kingdom to be brought down. In a way, this _is_ good.. Now our kingdoms are united, and we are completely safe from any form of attack."

"How convenient," Peach muttered, though her nerves were no longer rattling. Standing, she dusted off her dress, her thoughts drifting to breaking the news to the plumbers. Luigi saw it happen; he had even tried to break it up. But, the Chaos Heart that ripped open the skies and created The Void was proof that their union was not the 'sham wedding' Peach had so lovingly called it. No. It was the real deal.

She could only imagine Bowser was jumping for joy over it now.

* * *

Jumping for joy did not even begin to cover it. 

"Are you.. Are you sure?" Bowser's voice hitched in his throat, his heart thundering in his chest. The magikoopa Kamek smiled, eyes twinkling behind his thick glasses.

"Yes, sire, I am positive. The Mushroom Kingdom has already given it their official stamp, as well as sent in the request that you be present tomorrow. I have already sent back paperwork, and the counsel drew up merging files and treaties for you to review. Since this has been planned all along, not much preparation was needed.. Though, both kingdoms appear to be saddened they missed the wedding."

"Yeah, it wasn't the wedding of her dreams.. But, it was of mine," Bowser admitted, his grin stretching ear-to-ear. "The minions saw it, as did Kammy. Hell, even Luigi saw it."

"Not Mario, though, eh?"

"Don't ruin my day with thoughts of that pesky plumber," Bowser rolled his eyes, his smile fading for a moment. Mario could be a problem..

"You know the regulations. You're both royal; it's for life by both of your kingdom's standards."

Bowser sighed dreamily at that, his insides feelings like they were about to burst with happiness. He thought of going over to her castle right away, despite having just left her side after the battle at Bleck's castle, but resisted the temptation. They may be married, but he still had numerous papers to sign and review. Besides.. he wanted to look his best for when she saw him tomorrow.

As he turned to walk to his study, his mind still wandering with thoughts of a blushing Peach by his side for eternity, a commotion in the hall got his attention. Sighing, he knew what it was going to be already: his eight children.

"King Daaad, Roy stepped all over my make-up! Do something!" Wendy O Koopa whined, her painted claws set firmly on her hips as she glowered at her brothers. Roy scoffed and began to scuffle his feet against the brick set in the hall.

"It was Morton's fault. If 'e didn't talk so much, I wouldn't have ta shut that big trap 'o 'is."

Morton Jr. growled at Roy, his cheek red from a hit. "I should smash those sunglasses right into your eyes."

"Try it!" Roy announced, stepping forward. Where his foot was moments before now held a smeared red streak, which Wendy pointed at frantically, trying to obtain her father's attention again.

"King Daaad!"

"Quiet, all of you!" Bowser roared, the sentence echoing throughout the halls. The rest of the children, who had been watching the situation with amusement, flinched. Bowser looked at them in stern annoyance for a spilt-second, before his scowl gave way to be a grin. "I have great news! Princess Peach and I are married!"

"What?" the Koopalings gasped in unison, though a happy smile befell each of their faces.

"Did it happen while you were gone, King Dad? Why didn't we get to see?" Wendy asked with another pout, wishing she could have been a brides' maid. Bowser waved his hand dismissively, though his grin was still in place.

"It happened quickly, but it was beautiful. Perhaps we'll have another ceremony later on, but for now, we have to both be crowned."

"Is it possible to be king of both the Mushroom Kingdom and the Darkland?" Ludwig Von Koopa inquired. Bowser patted his oldest son on the head, nodding vigorously.

"Yeah, it'll have to be this way unless we merge our lands into one. For now, we will be both." Oh, it was just like a dream, Peach ruling at his side..

"I can't wait to see Mama Peach again," Bowser Junior admitted, all the Koopalings nodding. If there was one thing that brought them together, it was their desire to see their father and Peach happily together.

"You'll see her tomorrow. Now, off you go." Bowser made waved his large hands towards them. "I've got papers to sign."

As his children dissipated, Bowser literally skipped down the hall, singing "Peach is married to me!" under his breath.

* * *

"Princess! Wake up! Bowser is already here!" 

"Hmm?" Princess Peach rolled over, pulling her large pink comforter over her blonde hair. She clenched her eyelids tightly together, willing herself to go back to sleep, back to her dreamless void.

No such luck.

"Princess! The coronation ceremony is in mere _hours_ and Bowser has arrived," the voice reiterated. "You must wake up!"

This time the voice was not muffled by wood, Peach noted, meaning that the mushroom was inside. She groaned, shooting straight up and startling the poor messenger, her hair sticking out every which way. "Okay, all right, I'm awake, Toadsworth."

Toadsworth smiled, his wrinkles pulling at the sides of his mouth. "Glad to see you are excited about your big day."

Peach rolled her eyes, yet smiled. "Yes, both of us being crowned is quite thrilling."

"I am sure it will be," Toadsworth replied in earnest. "You can come and join Bowser for breakfast while we go over the details. Then, a maid will help you adorn your dress and get ready."

"Oh, all right. Can I get dressed first?" she asked, pointedly blowing a stray strand of golden hair from her face. Her oldest mentor only smiled.

"Of course, Princess. Please be prompt, though; Bowser seems eager to see his.. wife."

"Of course," Peach formally replied, waiting for Toadsworth to exit before going to take a shower. As the hot stream of water hit her skin and made her now-darkened hair cling to her cheeks, she closed her eyes. It was all happening so fast! First, the "sham wedding" concocted by Count Bleck had her married to Bowser. In that world, upon that place, a princess marrying a 'beast' was enough to produce a dark heart, the Chaos Heart, which could be used to destroy all the worlds. In a way, that was so unfair, but so like the story of Blumeire and Timpani..

Peach sighed. After they both unleashed the end of the worlds with their marriage, they find that it was no sham at all. And, now, she is about to be queen—queen!—or both her kingdom and the Darkland. Her days of mastering random sports with her friends are over when her ruling begins.

Her hair now washed, Peach turned off the stream of water and stepped out to dry off. It wasn't true, was it? No, Bowser is _king_ of the Darkland already, and it never stopped him from competing right beside her friends. It didn't stop him from hatching diabolical schemes, either, although most involved simply kidnapping her and waiting for the Mario brothers to arrive. Sometimes, she thought he barely tried anymore, instead settling to converse with her while his minions tried to slow Mario and Luigi.

As she pulled her standard pink dress over her head, already with an attached brooch, she remembered the plumbers' reaction to her marriage being real. Mario was upset that he could not stop it, though did not say much on the matter other than that. He seemed more concerned that he would not be able to travel on grand adventures to rescue her, confirming her suspicions that the love everyone saw in his eyes was not for her, but for adventure. Luigi, on the other hand, witnessed the wedding and told her she didn't have to do it. She could still bolt, even if it was treason. Her happiness should matter, after all.

Smoothing out the wrinkles on her dress, she gazed at herself in the steamed-up mirror. Her gown was as beautiful as ever, but her hair was an utter mess, dripping on the plush bath mats below her. Her happiness? It was with her kingdom and her people. Besides, Bowser would never hurt her. She was not sure that his feelings ran as deep as love, but she knew he really cared about her and would do his best to make sure she was happy.

After the princess dried her hair the best she could while hurrying, she pulled on her gloves and applied just a little make-up. The crown was the last thing she adorned: the crown of a princess. In hours, she would wear the crown of a queen, while Bowser would just re-adorn the Darkland crown.

Without shoes, though it was not as if anyone could tell, Peach set off for the dining hall, smiling at any servant or maid she saw on her way. The velvet rug rolled out beneath her feet felt soft, much like the similar rug stretching across Bowser's castle's floors always did.

Before long, she entered the dining hall to find Toadsworth, Bowser, the elderly mushroom from the previous day, and Kamek seated at a long table. Papers were strewn out before the wrinkled mushroom and Kamek, who appeared to be in a passionate discussion about which treaties and merging files should be edited and which to use. Bowser and Toadsworth stared at Peach, both suddenly smiling, though the prior's was much larger. Bowser even stood, knocking his chair over accidently in the process.

"There's my blushing bride," he announced, chuckling as her face reddened. "C'mon and sit by your hubby." Peach slanted a glance at Toadsworth, finding amusement in his eyes. He inclined his head slightly and Peach looked back to Bowser, nodding. Her husband's face lit up, and he pulled out her chair for her, before retrieving his own. She sat down, smoothing out her dress beneath her, and then folding her hands neatly in her lap. Bowser took his own seat as well, though did not share her manners; his elbows were stretched on the table, and he was leaning closer to her. "Good morning, beautiful."

"Good morning, Bowser," she replied rather formally, looking distractedly away from him, towards the waiters. On cue, the waiters watching the spectacle from the crack in the large kitchen doors emerged, each holding a serving platter. The meals were then dispensed. Peach got her standard chopped-up Peachy Peaches, orange juice, and a small Peach tart, while the two elder Mushrooms received fried eggs and fresh juice. Kamek declined on eating, though was brought a Tasty Tonic, and Bowser was happy to receive a Shroom Steak, Koopa Bun, and a slice of Heartful Cake.

After thanking the waiters, Peach raised her fork and delicately slid it into a slice of a Peachy Peach, before slanting a glance in Bowser's direction. He was practically salivating over what appeared to be the biggest steak in the kingdom, which was already clasped in both of his hands, his mouth open and ready. Upon noticing her stare, he loudly cleared his throat and lowered the steak back onto his plate, licking the fingers of one hand, while the other sought out the utensils needed to cut the meat. "That's not _really_ a breakfast food," the princess stated.

Bowser only grinned, though seemed a bit flushed at his previous lack of table manners. "It's breakfast. I'm going to eat it. That makes it a breakfast food."

"Oh, you know what I meant." Peach rolled her eyes, placing the bit of fruit into her mouth. Bowser copied her, though his steak slice was much larger, and his elbows remained planted on the edge of the table.

"Well, I usually settle on eggs and bacon, but I always wanted to try a 'shroom' steak prepared by this castle. Importing food in from this kingdom is never as good as eating it freshly-prepared."

"I suppose you're right," Peach shrugged slightly, used to casual conversation with Bowser by now. She could still remember the old days, back when he first started kidnapping her out of greed and a lust for power. Her arrangements were always set; she'd be forced into a large room by his lackeys, and she would not hear from him until Mario and Luigi showed up. As time progressed, however, the Koopa King started talking to her, making sure everything was all right. He then would talk to her regularly, sometimes even allowing her to roam about the castle. She was always treated more as a guest than a prisoner..

Toadsworth cleared his throat suddenly, drawing both their attentions to the wrinkled Mushroom seated before them. "Princess, we must go over the coronation ceremony."

Peach nodded, while Bowser grinned wider, feeling as if he was in a wonderful dream. "Both of you have had attire prepared. Bowser, you'll put on your crown during the ceremony, though I've noticed you rarely wear it anymore.."

"I don't need to; everyone knows who I am," Bowser gruffly replied. In truth, the weight annoyed him, especially when he played sports. He could not imagine how Peach was able to retain her crown, even when she was engaged in some high-speed go-kart racing or frantically running and/or sliding during tennis or soccer.

Besides, Bowser did not need a crown to make his people listen; he had brute strength, willpower, and confidence.

"Yes, indeed.." Toadsworth mumbled, nudging his large, circular glasses further onto his face. "Kamek has already handed it over to the officials here, and it awaits you at the ceremony."

"Are we going to rehearse the ceremony?" Peach inquired after swallowing another bite of her fruit. She was trying to hurry as Bowser was almost done with his meal..

"No, I do not believe it is necessary," Toadsworth replied. "Some words are said, you walk forth, Princess; more words are said, Bowser walks forth. Both are crowned, everyone claps, the end."

"All right.." Peach bit her bottom lip slightly, a nervous gesture. The talk of the ceremony made her stomach do flip-flops.

"We still have a couple of hours, so I'm going to go check on the preparations. I'll send a maid to your room to help you with your dress." Toadsworth rose from his chair, pushing it under the table afterward. "Bowser, I will send for another servant to escort you to the royal guest room, where you may also change."

"Yeah, okay," said Koopa replied before placing another bite of Heartful Cake into his mouth.

Once her mentor was gone, Peach softly sighed, wringing her gloved hands together. Only a couple of hours until she was queen of her kingdom; only a day or so until she was queen of _Bowser's_ kingdom! Two coronations in such a short time? It was too much!

"..and it won't be bad."

"Hm?" Peach blinked, the quizzical sound automatically producing in her throat. His deep rumble of words was completely lost in her thoughts. Bowser rested his clawed hand on her small shoulder, secretly celebrating when she did not pull away or jump at the contact.

"Being crowned. It's nothing to get that upset about. I promise it won't be bad."

Instead of replying, she only turned her bright blue eyes to her hands, tightly clasping her fingers together. Was it that obvious she was troubled? That wasn't good; her people could not see her troubled. She had to be a confident leader, not the weak little girl that always needed saving. No, she had proven herself more than once when it came to adventuring. This princess was no weakling, so she could not begin to act like one now.

"It's not so bad in the Darkland, either. Since I'm already king, all I have to do is crown you in front of the people. I won't let you be nervous then," he stated, his arm going around the back of her chair. He was close enough that she could feel his breath warm on her neck, which made her tremble from a whole other nervousness: being his wife.

"Thanks, Bowser. Really. But, I need to go change.." she trailed off, looking towards the door, then standing. Bowser blinked, his smile fading for a moment, before looking at a single bite of his cake left.

"Wait! Don't you want some of this first?" Peach turned in her retreat to see Bowser holding out a forkful of cake. "It was so good that I wanted you to have the last bite."

"That's.. really thoughtful," Peach admitted, her eyes softening. The Koopa King held out the fork, one scaled hand cupped beneath the chocolate cake in case it decided to crumble off his utensil. Peach reached out to take the fork from him, but he recoiled, shaking his head.

"Open up," he cheerfully commanded when she gave him a confused look. Her pale cheeks began to tint red at his blunt advance.

"I can feed myself, thank you," she muttered, her tone slightly huffy.

"Aw, c'mon, Peach. We're married, for crying out loud.. Which reminds me, I have something to give you later. Don't let me forget."

"I seem to recall being forced into saying 'I do.'" Peach commented, though immediately regretted how Bowser's face fell at her words.

"I'm sorry you're unhappy with it," Bowser sincerely said, lowering the bite of cake. After a moment of mental debate, Peach caught his wrist before the cake touched his plate, her fingers firmly wound around the part of his skin just above his standard spiked wristband. Her eyes reflected her apology. Wordlessly, she leaned forward and opened her mouth. His face lit up, and he happily fed her the bite of cake. Finding his smile contagious, she smiled brightly as well, her nervousness gone for the moment.

"Thank you," she murmured, slowly letting her fingers drop from his arm, to fall back by her side. With a twirl of pink fabric, she was out the door, leaving Bowser alone with Kamek and an elderly mushroom, both of whom where oblivious to the world outside treaties.

The large king leaned back, not caring that the wooden chair he was seated in creaked in protest, and smirked.

* * *

"Suck in for a moment, your Highness. I have to tie the corset tighter," the maid Toadsworth sent told Peach. The woman sighed, then quickly inhaled, trying her hardest to stand still. _Maybe I shouldn't have had that cake, after all.._ she thought ridiculously. The maid quickly finished tying the corset that was sewn into the flowing, white coronation dress, and stepped back to admire her work. Peach gazed at herself in the mirror, entranced. 

The attire was simple, yet elegant. The dress was an incredibly pure white, with puffy sleeves and a square collar just low enough to clearly show her collarbones. The midsection took on a bluish-gray tint and had plenty of ties in the back; it was clearly there to make the wearer appear thinner than in actuality. It billowed out in a similar fashion to her usual dress; however, the silken fabric clung to her shape better, and a large slit in one side comes to about mid-thigh, showing off her stocking legs and polished high heels.

"You look beautiful, your Highness," the maid breathed excitedly. Peach only half-heartedly nodded, blood pounding in her ears. Her breathing was swallow and exaggerated thanks to her inability to gather air in her lungs thanks to the tight corset. She only hoped she would not pass out during the ceremony. "I'm done here, so I'll take my leave. Toadsworth informed me that he shall escort you to the ceremony from here." With a bow, the servant exited the room, leaving Peach in front of the mirror.

_Why do I feel as if I'm getting married?_ Peach wondered as she pushed ivory earrings into the holes in her earlobes. _Must be the white dress._

Gathering her blonde hair into her gloved hands, she piled it up and pushed it to the back of her scalp, considering pinning it up for a moment. The memory of a veil being over her ponytailed hair reminded her of her _actual_ wedding.

She frowned and released her hair. She had always wanted to get married with her hair down anyway. What did Count Bleck know?

Peach refreshed her make-up, still staring at the dress in her reflection. It was not the "hideous" dress she had referred to her wedding gown as, even if the garment had matched her pink dress in another color.

Once her hair was brushed until every piece fell into place as perfectly as she could attain, Peach sat on the edge of her bed, feeling off-balance without her princess crown. Mere minutes later, Toadsworth arrived at her door, smiling warmly and extending his arm.

"Well, Princess.. It's now or never."

* * *

Bowser grunted as he followed a servant to the ceremony, uncomfortable in the pure white suit. During the wedding, he was fine with wearing a white coat and dress shirt. But for this ceremony, they had gone as far as to make him wear _pants!_ Of course, they had not taken his tail into account, so the appendage was currently pulled upwards and smashed against the rim of his shell. The shell hid the bulge from the public's view, but it was still very uncomfortable, to say the least. 

He was just glad the shoes didn't fit at all. It would have been impossible to walk!

"You look wonderful, sire," Kamek commented, falling into step beside the Koopa King. He stuck out his chest confidently, though faltered slightly when the seams begin to rip.

"Oh, I know. It takes a true Koopa to make this get-up look so awesome."

"Of course," Kamek agreed, smiling.

"Are all the papers in order?" Bowser asked without looking at his advisor.

"Do you really have to ask?"

"No. If I didn't think they were, I'd have you killed," Bowser replied, though his tone was light.

"Well, you are correct. Everything is in order, except for the castle-business. It is still unclear on which castle shall be ruled in, while the other remains vacant."

"Obviously, mine will be ruled in. We're providing the Mushroom Kingdom with protection; no one will attack it. Besides, I've kidnapped her enough that she could easily rule from the Darkland. And, you have to remember the Koopalings.."

"I suppose so. For now, you could take her back to your castle for the Darkland coronation, but might I suggest speaking with her about the castle-situation?"

"Yeah, yeah. It'll be taken care of," Bowser waved a dismissive hand in his direction, and Kamek noticed a spike glinting from beneath his sleeve. It caused the old magikoopa to smile and shake his head lightly; at least some Koopas never changed.

"We're outside the main hall, your Majesty," the mushroom leading Bowser announced, reminding the pair of his presence. The formality surprised Bowser at first; he was used to brushing the mushroom species from his shell during his 'visits' to the castle. Usually, he was called a monster for taking away their fair princess. But now that he was her husband, whether by her choice or not, he was immediately accepted as her partner.

As their king.

"Thanks, squirt," he mumbled, patting the servant's blue-spotted mushroom cap. The male stared at Bowser in shock for a moment, before smiling lightly.

Kamek stood with his ear poised against the wooden door leading to the main hall, leaning with both hands atop his staff. "By the sounds of it, sire, the whole kingdom is in there."

"Good. I'm glad they'll get to witness the single greatest moment in history," Bowser smugly commented, though pictures of the Mario brothers busting in and trying to steal his crown ran rampant through his mind.

"Well, it appears everything is all set," Toadsworth voice came from behind the Koopa King, causing him to turn his head to mumble a 'yeah.' Instead of the wrinkled mushroom, however, his chocolate eyes met with a sight that literally took his breath away. Peach looked every bit the part of royalty, even without her usual jeweled crown. Her blue eyes held his gaze for a while, but were forced down by the intensity of his stare, a blush tinting her cheeks once more. It wasn't everyday someone blatantly stared at her like that.

Peach realized Bowser was also wearing something similar to his wedding garb. White clothing made him seem a little more innocent than his spiked accessories usually did. Though, it looked like they were still protruding from his thick sleeves.. His hair was still a bit unruly, wild and red like the fire he breathed.

"You're gorgeous," Bowser finally commented, drawing Peach's wide eyes immediately back to his face. He was smiling in a way that told her just what was on his mind: _You're beautiful, and __you're all mine. _It was a sweet smile, not the lustful one she occasionally received during her journeys. Some of the men she had spoken made her skin crawl, especially with their declaration of "HOT BABE!"

"Thank you," she finally murmured, twisting her fingers at her waist. She was feeling light-headed, but it was more from the corset than nervousness.

"It's starting," Toadsworth mumbled, ushering Kamek to take a seat. While he was inside the hall, Bowser and Peach were left alone. He was still staring.

"Why have you been breathing so hard this whole time? It looks like you can't catch your breath.. Are you really that nervous?" Bowser inquired, reaching out as if to comfort her. Peach shook her head, bending over until she realized it further restricted her breathing. The corset had not been as bad before, as long as she took shallow breaths and concentrated. But now that she was fidgeting and a combination of flustered and nervous, it was a lot harder to draw in air.

"It's just hard to breathe.. This thing is tied very tightly," she replied, gesturing behind her to the strings. Bowser leaned around her to get a better look at the ties, then took the string in his claws. Peach stiffened and grabbed onto his arm, shaking her head. "Don't undo it. We're about to go through the ceremony!"

"Don't worry; I can tie a bow, Princess," Bowser rumbled, both aware that it would be the last time Peach was referred to as Princess. It was the closing of a major chapter in both their lives, but the beginning of a whole other story.

When Peach did not reply or release his arm, Bowser went through with his plan, untying the knot on the bow. "Breathe in big," he commanded, his tone softer than usual. Peach closed her eyes, inhaling in as much air as her lungs could possibly contain. The criss-crossing network of ribbon in the back loosened as her ribs strained against the heavy corset's fabric. "Can you breathe normally now?"

"Y-yes," she muttered, her fingers still loosely clinging to his arm. His forearm was large and warm, even through the fabric, which brought the distraught princess some comfort, even if it was from Bowser.

"It's time to walk now, Queen," Toadsworth poked his head through the door, blinking as he saw Bowser holding the ends of the untied ribbon. His cheeks quickly stained crimson, and he shook his head at the two. "Now is not the time for that. Just hurry and walk, your Highness," he hurriedly told Peach as she tried to open her mouth to explain the situation. Bowser chuckled as Toadsworth retreated back through the door, already tying a double knot into the ribbon.

"That's not funny," Peach stated in a chiding manner, her fingers recoiling from his arm to ball at her hip.

"Sure it is. Now, you heard the fungus; walk! And remember," he wound his arm around her shoulders, drawing her against his side, "you can breathe now, so don't be nervous. You'll be a wonderful queen.. of both our kingdoms."

Peach drew away from his arm, though she could not help but smile, the butterflies in her stomach resting for the moment. "Thanks, Bowser.." she softly said, turning and opening the wooden doors, while Bowser stepped to the side.

All eyes were immediately on Peach. The majority were mushrooms, while she _did_ spot a few yoshis, moles, Kamek, Daisy, and the Mario brothers. The latter did not appear as happy as her other subjects, but she quickly averted her gaze, focusing instead on the small stage directly in front of her. There stood the head of the council and the second-in-command, both mushrooms holding a crown. Though she had long since done away with thrones, two plush chairs sat side-by-side behind the council leaders; tradition demanded that the two would sit at the end of the ceremony.

As soon as she reached the stairs, the formal words being spoken during her walk lost completely to her (though she _did_ catch "Peach," "Queen," and "era"), Bowser began his march down the aisle. His steps were not as dainty as hers, though did not shake the floor as she knew they could. When she finally made it to the top of the stage, being careful on the steps to not trip, Bowser was already going up the first step of the platform. He soon reached the top, he casted a smug smirk over his shoulder to Mario and Luigi, both of whom narrowed their eyes in response. Chuckling under his breath at their displeasure, he turned with Peach to face the council and their crowns.

"With this crown, the symbol of our kingdom and our loyalty, you are no longer a princess, but our queen. Each jewel represents a generation, and we are positive the blood of your ancestors will guide you in your decisions," the council head recited, the passage quoted from a book of traditions in the royal library. He held the crown above his head with his stubby arms, and Peach knelt to allow him access, tilting her head so he could properly set the crown. When the weight was present, she looked back up at him, spotting happy tears in his eyes. "You'll do fine, my queen," the mushroom whispered, and Peach smiled, rising from her kneeling position. A yoshi cheered happily, until other yoshis shushed him, assuring him in their native tongue that they were supposed to wait until both parties were crowned. The young yoshi muttered an apology to the crowd, his embarrassment drawing chuckles. A glare from Toadsworth silenced them.

"With this crown, you shall be our king. This jewel," the second-in-command mushroom turned the crown to display a red jewel in the shape of a shroom, "represents the first generation of Koopa-rule, as well as our loyalty to you." Bowser knelt in a similar fashion and was crowned as well, the weight taming his fiery hair somewhat.

"Both crowns presented, the ceremony is complete!" the head of the council announced, turning his back to the crowd to gesture for Peach and Bowser to step towards the chairs. Both got the hint and backed up until their calves touched the frames. "May I now present to you, your king and queen, King Bowser Koopa and Queen Peach Toadstool! .. Or, it is Koopa?" he finished in a whisper, his musing swallowed by the crowd.

The two sat down on cue, the young yoshi being the first to erupt into cheers. The rest followed suit, cheering loudly for their rulers. Bowser leaned over to whisper in Peach's ear, "Why does this feel more like a wedding?" Instead of answering, she only shook her head, smiling out at her people. She had not been nervous at all through the ceremony!

"Say something!" Daisy hollered over the cheers, causing the audience to roar "Speech! Speech!"

Smiling, Peach stood up, drawing more cheers, then silence. "You all stuck by me as a princess through these years.. Now, I hope you know that I won't let you down as queen."

Before she could say another word, Bowser was by her side, an arm wound around her shoulders once again. "You don't have to worry about anything since I'll be at her side! This Koopa could crush any enemy, so you never have to worry about being invaded again with my army!"

More cheers came, causing Peach to look up at Bowser, surprised. Of course, he had to be good at boosting morale after the Mario brothers defeated so much of his army..

After a while of smiling and waving, the crowd began to disperse, though Daisy, Mario, and Luigi hung back.

Bowser laughed whole-heartedly in his happiness, his arm still possessively gripping Peach's shoulder. When things began to quiet down, he snapped the fingers of his free hand. "Oh yeah! I had something to give you, but you never reminded me." Removing his arm from her shoulder, he reached into the convenient pocket of his white slacks, his claws closing around a box. Before he could draw it out, however, Daisy had thrown herself into the arms of her cousin and was already chatting her ear off about how awesome it was that she was queen!

A pair of men—plumbers, to be exact—came from behind the yellow-clad brunette, both glaring daggers at the Koopa King.

"Bowser," one of them addressed. He was short and plump, seemingly vertically-challenged in comparison to his younger brother, who was lean and tall.

Bowser let go of the box, taking his large clawed hand from his pants. When had it ever been simple when it came to dealing with Peach?

"Mario."

* * *

A/N: That was a long chapter; hopefully, all of the chapters will be this long. Next time, Peach goes to the Darkland to meet her step-children! What? You mean she forgot he had kids in all the nervousness over being queen? Ah, well that sucks for her. 

Remember to review, review, review!


	2. Mama Peach

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, Nintendo does, you know the drill.

A/N: Thanks for all the wonderful reviews. I was touched to see some of the greats reading my fanfic. I'm sorry this was not as soon as previously promised; I had a killer paper to write for my English 101 class, as well as finals in every class. I _promise_ I won't always be this bad! I also apologize for any errors.

* * *

The older Mario brother stared down the Koopa King, silently loathing him. It was not for getting Princess—err, Queen—Peach to himself, however; it was for robbing him of the adventure he had come to thrive on. Days without an epic quest where everyone considered him a fearless hero and gave him free pasta were now over. Even though Luigi had assured him that there were other villains to pursue, other royalty to rescue for free food and fun, he still enjoyed his adventures to many of Bowser's grand castles the most. Now, that was gone.

Bowser, on the other hand, mistook the red-clad plumber's glare as hatred for taking away his precious Peach. Why else would Mario risk his neck time after time to save her, unless he wanted her hand in marriage? _Well, too damn bad, you trouble-making toilet-fixer.. She's all mine._

After a moment of silence from the Mario brothers, Bowser crossed his arms. "Well? What do you want?"

Luigi slanted a glance at Daisy, who was talking in hushed whispers excitedly with Peach, off to the side. "Er, I came with her.."

Mario finally looked away, to his younger brother, while Bowser smirked. _Co__uldn't stand looking at greatness__ that long, huh?_

Once everyone else was cleared out, save the trio waiting to speak with Peach, Bowser plunked down on the large, plush chair behind him. Unlike the older chair in the dining area, it did not creak. As he leaned back, however, the seams on his dress shirt began to snap.

"Looks like-a they didn't get-a your size," Mario commented upon hearing some ripping. Bowser shrugged, removing the jacket, then the shirt. He noticed Peach watch him out of the corner of her eye while Daisy chatted away, and he grinned, though it was short-lived as his tail shifted uncomfortably in his shell. Standing, he undid the buttons of his pants, drawing a gasp from Mario. "What-a are you doing?" he cried.

"Taking off my pants. My tail hurts," Bowser replied slowly, as if he were talking to a small child. Mario looked at him as if he were suddenly wearing a pink tutu.

"But--!"

"Look, shorty. When have I ever worn pants?"

Mario stood there for a moment, before realization dawned upon him that Bowser, in fact, never wore pants! His mouth formed a perfect 'O', though the sound refused to come out, his throat constricted with embarrassment. Luigi just shook his head.

Daisy paused from talking to watch Mario and Bowser, then giggled at Mario's expression. Peach followed suit, causing the plumber's face to become dangerously close to matching his hat. Daisy then turned back around to Peach, whispering to her, "What about Mario?"

"What about him?" Peach asked, confused.

Daisy rolled her eyes. "You know.. You two! You're married now, so does this mean you're giving up Mario?"

"Did I.. ever have Mario?" Peach whispered, blinking.

"Well, I mean he _saved_ you plenty of times from what is now your husband. And you always acted so happy to see him.." Daisy felt a lot like Bowser did when he was explaining his pants-situation to Mario.

"That's because he's my best friend, Daisy. Of course I'm happy to see him," Peach smiled, while Daisy shook her head.

"So, you two weren't in love?"

"Mario loves two things: adventure and food. I was part of the adventure, but not the love. He had a girl back home, anyway; Pauline. Besides, with all the random adventures, I never had much time to get to know him.." Peach shrugged.

"Geez, and here I thought you two were already dating.." Daisy sighed, slinging an arm around her cousin. Peach only smiled, though blinked as Daisy's mouth went against her ear to whisper lowly, "Do you love Bowser? Or does he love you?"

"What?" Peach gasped out, drawing the startled glances from the Mario brothers and Bowser, the latter of which was balanced on one food, the other still stuck in his white slacks, while he struggling to dislodge himself. Her bright eyes noticed their stares, and she turned her back to the trio, looking at Daisy.

"You heard me," Daisy mouthed, the words barely audible.

"I don't love him, though he's not as bad as everyone thinks," she admitted, memories flooding behind her eyes. "I don't think he loves me. I know he cares, but I don't think it's that deep."

"Sure," Daisy murmured, nodding. Her brunette hair bounced with the inclination of her head, and she swept a few stray strands over the shoulder of her poofy, yellow dress. Peach sighed at the princess's tone of voice, knowing it was full of disbelief.

"Daisy.. why don't we-a go check on Yoshi and let-a them change?" Luigi called over to the princess, feeling uncomfortable standing in silence with Bowser for that long. Sure, he had been their ally in the last adventure, as well as Mario's ally when he had to retrieve his keep.. but he had been the enemy long enough to make him uneasy.

"Oh, all right," Daisy groaned, stepping away from Peach with a playful wink. She skipped over to Luigi and took his arm, then hooked two fingers through Mario's overall strap, pulling him along with them. When they finally exited, Bowser looked over at Peach, his clothes piled in his arms.

"Looks like you already changed," she commented, causing him to shrug.

"It was much too confining. I don't know who gave them my measurements, but they were a little off. You don't even want to see the squished shoes."

Peach smiled, imagining his weight crushing a pair of small shoes.

"Come back to the Darkland with me tonight," Bowser commanded, his look pleading. Peach looked uncertain, so he added, "You're going to be crowned soon, so you should be there."

"This soon?" Peach asked, her eyes faraway for a moment. Finally, she nodded. "Okay, fine. Let me change and pack a bag or two."

"Or three or four, or everything," Bowser said, grinning, as he followed her out. She paused at the stairs to roll her eyes in his direction.

"Oh please. I do not pack _that_ much!"

"But, I wish you would," Bowser commented, causing the queen to shake her head and hurry up the stairs.

_How can he always be so casual about those things?_ Peach wondered as she closed her bedroom door behind her. Her home was here, which bothered her. He had not mentioned where they would stay, now that they were officially married and he was already king of the Mushroom Kingdom. Should she ask him to act like they were never married and continue to rule over their separate kingdoms?

No. He'd probably just kidnap her again. Only this time, no one could save her because he was her husband. It would be her place to be at his side.

Sighing, she tried to reach behind her to undo the ties, but failed. "Of course," she mumbled out loud. "I had to have someone help me put it on, so of course I'd have to have someone help me take it off.." Resigned, she opened her door, jumping when she came face-to-face with Bowser. "Were you.. peeping on me?"

"What do you take me for?" he asked, scrunching his face up. "I came to wait on you."

"Sure," she mumbled, before turning around and slinging her hair over her shoulder. "Can you untie that for me?"

"Woah now, I know we're married, but there are mushrooms all over here and--"

"I can't get the dress off to change, Bowser," she stated, her voice deadpan. Bowser chuckled, stepping forward to take the ribbons.

"I know, I know. You're fun to tease, though, Peach." With a tug of the ribbon, Bowser had the knot undone, leaving the two ends hanging down her back. Peach flexed her shoulders until the ties loosened and she could feel it sagging in the front. Pressing a hand against her chest so she would not be exposed, she muttered her thanks to him over her shoulder and reclosed the door.

Peach quickly tossed three bags onto her plush bed, before prying the white, satin gloves from her hands. She then shrugged her arms from the puffy sleeves of her dress and shimmied until the fabric slid from her hips to pool around her feet. Stepping over the pile of clothing, Peach hurriedly kicked off her polished high heels, wincing as they clanged noisily against the side of her dresser.

"Everything okay in there?" Bowser called through the door, though his voice seemed laced with amusement. Peach nodded before realizing that he could not see the gesture through wood.

"Yes. I just dropped my shoes," she called back, already walking to her closet with stocking-clad feet. She heard him grunt his understanding outside her bedroom, and her thoughts drifted to her imminent stay at his castle. What to wear at the Darklands, for the ceremony? Perhaps she would ask once she was properly dressed.

Deciding that was best, she pulled her standard pink dress over her head, the same dress she had worn during breakfast. Only now that she had been away from her room, it had been re-ironed by one of the maids, leaving it completely wrinkle-free. After adjusting her crown, she set on piling the necessities—her make-up, brush, hairdryer, five sets of gloves, seven pairs of shoes, a frying pan, and a paperback Goomba romance novel—into one bag, while the other two would be set aside for clothing and whatever knick-knacks did not fit in the first.

"Bowser?" she called, knowing he was listening outside her door. On cue, he grunted what sounded like a _yeah?_ "Can you help me pick out what to wear to the Darkland ceremony?"

Bowser slowly opened the door, taking in the sight of her room. It wasn't his first time seeing it, that was for sure. There were many times that he had crashed through her window in the middle of the night, or stormed through the corridors to break down her door and carry her away. It was usually in the cover of darkness, though he could recall a few mid-day kidnappings where she was reading on her bed.

"Well? The closet's over here," Peach raised her hand and curled her fingers, gesturing for him to follow. He snapped out of his daze and complied, not surprised to find most of Peach's wardrobe to be pink.

"The coronation gown has already been prepared, or so Kamek has said," Bowser muttered, Peach's blonde eyebrow raising in response. "I doubt it's pink."

"Go figure," Peach murmured, her sarcasm drawing a smile from the Koopa. "What do you suggest on wearing to the Darkland anyway?"

"This," Bowser said immediately, pulling a dress from its place. Peach could not help but laugh; it was the exact dress she currently adorned! In fact, she had many duplicates of that dress in her closet; it was her favorite.

"I always wear that," Peach commented, pulling out the sides of her dress. Bowser nodded vigorously.

"Yeah, I know.. Which is why you should wear it. Why change your look just because you're about to be queen of two lands?"

"I suppose you have a point," Peach admitted slowly, taking the dress from him with a smile. He gathered several others that appeared exactly the same, then grabbed what appeared to be her standard pink sports outfit.

"Bring this, too. We may have a match." Peach looked over the outfit; she had a different one for every sport, but that one consisted of a sleeveless top and shorts, a headband hung around the hanger.

"In what sport?" she asked, carrying the dress back to her bags, Bowser in tow. He shrugged.

"Does it _really_ matter?" Peach only shook her head, though jumped when her crown slid off. Bowser shifted the clothing in his large arms to catch the crown, his own still atop his head.

"Thank you.. I haven't gotten used to the different weight yet," she admitted, allowing him to stick it back atop her golden hair. A vision of him sticking the crown on her head in front of his minions and subjects flashed through her mind, causing her to shudder. Bowser only blinked.

Peach went about stuffing her remaining bags with her dresses, athletic outfits, and sleepwear, all while Bowser watched and helped her hold open the bags. As she folded a sweatband and began to tuck it into the side of the bag, she slanted a glance at the Koopa King.

"So, even as King, you have plenty of time to play sports and have random matches with me?"

Bowser laughed, while Peach picked up one of her bags. "Well, I couldn't let you guys have all the fun, could I? And why let all my talent go to waste unless I'm going to compete. But, the kids will probably want to play some sports with you while you're there; it'd be a good bonding experience I'm sure they're looking forward to," he commented, extending his hand to take the bag from her.

He was a little too late; Peach automatically dropped the bag, letting it hit the ground with a soft _thud._ Her fingers hung comically in the air, still loosely curled from where she held the straps moments before. Bowser groaned as he looked into her round, blue eyes and picked up the fallen object.

"You forgot I had eight children, didn't you?"

Peach only nodded.

* * *

"That doesn't look good at all! It's crooked!" Wendy O. announced, leaning forward on her haunches to further accentuate her displeasure with her brothers. The twins Lemmy and Iggy both stood atop chairs, trying to get a _Congratulations_ banner properly hung in the entry way. The Koopalings had decided to welcome 'Mama Peach' into the family properly; they had often spoken to her during her stays in the castle, and come to fondly consider her their mother-figure.

"I think it looks good.." Bowser Jr. stated, carrying in a tray full of snacks. Wendy sent a death glare his way, and he growled lightly in defense.

"No one asked you, pip squeak. Put the snacks on the table over there," she waved her hand dismissively, her attention already back on the banner. "No, higher! Higher! Geez, it's not rocket science!"

Lemmy and Iggy muttered under their breath, both trying their hardest to get it perfectly straight; their short arms were beginning to tire.

"Hold it there! Perfect!" Wendy excitedly leapt up and down, her giant bow fluttering atop her head. "Oh, Mama Peach is going to love it!"

"She better after this," Iggy murmured, sliding down from the chair. Lemmy nodded, waving his arms to try to get the blood properly circulating again.

Junior sighed, placing the tray on the table. Several cups of punch were set atop the metal, while chips, pretzels, and other party foods were already along the large table. Everyone really was excited; Peach was officially their mother! They had a mother!

Looking away from Wendy, who had automatically set about describing another task for her brothers, Junior set off down the hall.

".. and she really like peaches, so we should make something with peaches, even though peaches don't grow around here, which could be a problem; I mean, what Koopa eats peaches except for King Dad who says they remind him of her, though I don't think he likes them much because he scrunches his nose up like this and.."

Morton was clearly in the kitchen, talking the ear off of a Koopa chef. Junior crept by, not wanting to get drawn into that conversation. The only way Morton ever shut up once he got started was when Roy clobbered him, and he was too angry to say anything more than threats. Since he was excited right now, it was sure to be even worse; not even a hit from Roy would do the job.

A sudden explosion shook the castle, drawing a scream of "Ludwig! Stop messing around!" from Wendy, down the hall.

"My apologies! Everything is all right!" Ludwig yelled, his voice echoing in the virtually empty hall. From other rooms, he heard affirmative sounds produced by his other siblings. Curious, Junior opened Ludwig's door slightly, unable to keep from smiling at the sight before him. Ludwig's hair was even more unruly than usual, his face caked with black soot. Around his eyes was clean, while blackened goggles hung around his neck. He coughed a few times, already back to tinkering with his latest invention, a screwdriver in his hand.

"Ludwig?" Junior questioned, opening the door wider. His oldest brother only waved him in with one hand, his eyes squinted in concentration.

"I think I may have discovered the problematic substance," the blue-haired Koopa announced, his tongue sticking out of the corner of his mouth. Junior blinked, craning his head to try to see around the metal contraption.

"Uh.. What exactly.. is it?"

"It is a present for Mama Peach," he stated the obvious, tightening a screw. "All right, I believe it is functional now. Would you care to see it in action?"

"Yeah!" Junior cried out, excitedly clenching his fists.

"Okay.." Ludwig flipped a switch on the back, then jumped back, half-expecting it to malfunction. Junior ducked reflexively, covering his head with his small hands, bracing himself for an explosion. When the impact he expected never occurred, he blinked, slowly raising his head. Music slowly began to flutter from what he now recognized as spiked speakers, beautiful piano strokes with the occasional stringed accompany.

"Brilliant," Ludwig complimented himself, obviously pleased to see it fully functional.

"How.. how did that explode before?" Junior inquired, wondering if there was more to the stereo than meets the eye. Ludwig only nervously chuckled, gesturing to what looked like a hollowed-out speaker.

"I forgot to exponentially decrease the hertz ratio," he finally stammered out, obviously trying to side-step the question and confuse his younger brother. Bowser Junior wasn't buying it.

"Which means..?"

".. I did not turn down the volume. It was up to its fullest potential."

"So how did it explode? You're all black!" Junior asked, shocked.

"This is not _just_ any stereo.. This one can pick up stations all throughout the worlds, so Mama Peach will still get to listen to Mushroom Kingdom music. I also added my own channel where several of my own works are continuously played. Because of this, I made sure its capabilities were at their maximum capacity, though turning it up that loud and immediately switching it on proved.. troublesome."

"So, you literally blew out the speaker?" Junior asked, trying to sum it all up. When his eldest brother nodded, he smiled, proud of himself for deciphering Ludwig's jargon.

"_Hey!_ You guys! Larry said he spotted the Clown Copter over the horizon! They'll be here any second!" Wendy's voice rang through the halls impatiently. Soon, the sounds of bare feet slapping against the stone hallway could be heard through the wooden door. Ludwig sighed, picking up his latest invention, after switching it off.

"Good thing I completed this in time.." he murmured, more to himself than Junior. "Did you happen to make anything for her?"

"Make anything for Mama Peach..?" Junior repeated, his mind suddenly going to everyone's preparations. It was true that he helped set the snack table, but everyone had been making drawings and various other _welcome to the family_ presents.. Junior on the other hand.. Well, he had nothing.

"I didn't even think!" He ran out of Ludwig's door and headed for his own room, hoping that somehow, he could find something to present the only woman he ever thought of as his mother.

* * *

"This is nice."

"What is?" Peach asked, glancing over her shoulder at Bowser. Previously, she had been watching the landscape zoom past from below, fascinated by the blurring colors.

"This. You haven't screamed in my ear once," he replied, his eyes glued forward. Was that sadness that crossed his expression? Surely not!

"Well, that would just be foolish. Mario knows where I'm going," she commented, smiling to lighten the mood, although Bowser could not see it.

"Yeah.." The sound was more of a rumble in the back of his throat. After a while of driving along in silence once more, Bowser spoke up. "Are you going to be okay with this?"

"If I'm okay with being married or not, I'm still stuck."

"I mean with the children."

"Oh." For a moment, she was quiet, chewing on her bottom lip while she debated on the correct thing to say. "I always loved spending time with them.."

"They always called you 'Mama Peach', anyway," Bowser added, watching her out of the corner of his eye.

"Yes, so I suppose it won't be much different," she decided, trying not to panic at the thought of suddenly having eight kids. Before the last adventure, she had been a single Princess living the good life of being rescued by Mario and living vicariously through him. Now, she was married, had eight children, and was the queen of two lands. It was quite the change!

"I always hoped you would be their mom some day," Bowser admitted, his voice low. Peach barely heard it over the buzz of the propeller below them, but she was still shocked by the sincerity in his voice.

Before she could mutter a reply, however, she was suddenly knocked off balance, and she clutched onto the base of one of his spikes. He was descending rapidly, something she was used to by now, though had not been prepared for this time.

"Bowser, hey!" she gasped as they impacted a little rougher than usual, causing her high heel to slide out from under her. Peach ungracefully fell to the bottom of the Clown Copter, landing hard on her rump. As she winced and tenderly rubbed the spot, Bowser had already turned and gripped her shoulders.

"Oh, Peach, I'm sorry.. Are you all right?" he asked, trying to catch her gaze. She leaned back on her hands, just staring up at him for a second, her lips pulled tautly in a frown. "My mind was wandering," he admitted, a feat Peach knew was difficult for the Koopa. Instead of being angry at her sudden spill, her features lifted in a smile once again. Bowser released a breath he didn't know he had been holding.

"Yes, I'm fine," she announced, pushing herself off of the metal floor she had just used as a chair. Bowser assisted her by grabbing her arm and yanking her up, which caused her to wince slightly; he was never one to realize how to be gentle _all_ the time.

"Good. I didn't mean for you to fall."

"_King Dad!_" a voice suddenly interrupted them, belonging to none other than Wendy O. Koopa. The female Koopaling had taken it upon herself to greet the pair, allowing her brothers to stay in place in the foyer area, standing for an ambush. "It's about time you guys showed up."

"It's good to see you, too," Bowser irately mumbled, snaking an arm around Peach's waist. Before the queen could utter a protest, however, he had leapt from the Copter, jumping over the rim. Startled by the sudden movement, Peach clung to his side with a shriek, clenching her eyes shut. Bowser landed, the heavy impact echoing through the area, though the ground did not shake; his castle was much sturdier than her own.

"Follow me, you guys! Hurry up!" Wendy shouted at them once they were disengaged from the flying clown-like contraption. She was wasting no time and already set off running back, her heels clanking noisily and ungracefully against the floor. Bowser chuckled at her impatient behavior; like father, like daughter.

"We'd better go see what it is," he commented to Peach, who had not realized she was set on solid ground yet, instead opting to cling for dear life to his side. Curious, Bowser released his hold on her and took a step forward. She remained clung. "Wow, you're really warming up to me, huh?"

"What?" Peach asked, her eyes snapping open to his scaly epidermis. Realization that she was safe and still clinging dawned on her, her cheeks immediately turning a red to rival Mario's clothing. "Oh, uh, sorry," she rushed out, jumping away from him as if she had been burned. The Koopa King only laughed wholeheartedly, patting her on the back.

"I'm not," he smugly stated, using the hand on her back to usher her out of the room and down the hall.

When the pair finally caught up with Wendy, she smiled, seemingly by herself. "Now!" she cried out, causing six other Koopalings to leap from their hiding places.

"Surprise!" they chorused, standing to the sides of the banner. Peach gasped, shocked that they would go to such lengths to welcome her to the family. It was as if they wanted her there, not that they thought of her as an intruder. Of course, their name for her—Mama Peach—should have been the first giveaway.

Bowser gave a short _Bwa__ ha __ha_ laugh, grinning at his children. "Great job, you little punks," he commended, reminding himself to thank them privately later. This may have been just the welcome Peach needed to see that she would be a fine mother to the children and readily accepted to the Koopa Clan.

"Really, King Dad? It was all my idea, of course," Wendy boasted, receiving glares from her brothers. "We have snacks and gifts for you, Mama Peach. Right, boys?"

"Right!" they chorused, forgetting their anger at Wendy for taking the credit.

* * *

Soon, Peach found herself seated in a play room, Bowser sitting beside her on the couch. He seemed to be bursting with pride that his children could share his love for the now-queen. She only blinked, amazed that they were being so nice to her. Of course, she suspected that it had something to do with Bowser not going off to kidnap her as often; now he would have more time for his children.

They each took turns presenting her with gifts. Lemmy gave her a ball, much like the one he on which he constantly tried to perfect his balancing. His twin Iggy, however, had to apologize; his invention had failed. "It's all Wendy's fault for making me hang the banner," he sulked.

"It's your own fault for being a lousy inventor!" she retaliated, crossing her arms over her chest, golden bracelets clinking together. He snarled, though a warning glance from Bowser caused it to quickly die in his throat.

"Here, Mama Peach. My invention was an utter success," Ludwig boasted, chest swelled out with pride. Peach took the box from him, setting it in her lap.

"What does it do?" she asked, intrigued, yet wary.

"I shall show you." With a flick of his claw, Ludwig had the device operational, soft music coming from what Peach believed to be speakers.

"A radio?"

"Not just any radio," he corrected, his hands placed on his hips as he bragged. "It's capable of receiving transmissions for each of the worlds, so that you shall not miss your kingdom's music or news while you are staying in the Darkland. It even has a special station that plays my symphonies."

"Wow," she breathed, obviously impressed. "That's really amazing, Ludwig."

"Oh, it is nothing, really," he feigned modesty. His siblings glared enviously, upset that he was showing them up.

The next gift came from Morton: a Peachy Peach smoothie. Peach gratefully took it from his clawed hands, examining the texture cautiously.

"I helped make it with the head Koopa chef!" he announced with pride, standing in front of her with his hands at his hips.

"I didn't know Peachy Peaches were produced in the Darkland," Peach admitted, her golden eyebrows raised in surprise.

"They're not, but King Dad imports them because they're peaches and it's like your name and you kind of smell like peaches, which is why King Dad eats them and loves them and made the chefs learn how to make many dishes using them and—"

Bowser cut off Morton's ranting run-on sentence with a couch cushion to the face. Peach blinked over at him, shaking her head slightly at his parenting skills. He only gave her a tired look.

"Well, thank you, Morton." She raised the glass to her lips and slowly took a sip.

… Only to immediately start coughing, a gloved hand pressed against her lips as she fought to swallow the frothy substance. Bowser patted her back rather roughly, trying to dislodge whatever was choking her. She shook her head frantically instead, her face beet-red.

"Why's she choking?" Wendy asked, blinking. Bowser took the glass from Peach's death-grip on the handle, then guardedly tasted the smoothie.

"Just as I suspected," he mumbled, smacking his lips. "You put hot sauce in this."

"Hot sauce?" Peach croaked out between coughs, her throat and mouth suddenly dry.

"King Dad always drinks his with hot sauce, so I thought-"

"Get her some water. Now!" Bowser roared, distraught that Peach was suffering because of his own personal taste. Peachy Peaches did remind him of his beloved, but they lacked the kick he enjoyed with his food.

"Iggy, go get her some," Wendy urged, jabbing her brother in the side with a manicured claw. He opened his mouth to protest, but she cut him off with another impatient jab. "Your invention failed, so this'll make up for it."

"Fine," he agreed, sprinting out through the door for a glass of water. Bowser watched him go with narrowed eyes, setting the smoothie on the floor by the couch.

"How can you.. like that?" Peach gasped out, still trying to properly breathe. It felt like her throat was burning, and she could not produce enough saliva to soothe it.

"I'm a Koopa. I like everything to be hot." He shrugged.

"It tasted fine to me. I'm sorry, Mama Peach," Morton apologized, his large mouth poised in a frown. She only smiled, though her eyes glimmered with unshed tears from her coughing fit. Iggy brought in the glass, immediately rushing to the queen's side. She gratefully accepted the glass, draining it in a series of greedy gulps. When she was finished, she let out a sigh of relief, her throat finally no longer burning.

"It's okay, Morton," she assured him at last, bringing the grin back to his face. "And, thank you, Iggy."

Larry and Roy both gave Peach a drawing. In Larry's, the whole family was drawn, a figure in a pink dress standing beside the largest Koopa. Bowser peered over her shoulder, grinning happily at the family portrait of sorts. Roy's drawing, however, depicted him beating up several of his siblings. Peach gasped, looking over the paper at the sunglass-wearing Koopaling. "Roy, that's not nice to draw," she reprimanded.

"I know. That's why I drew it," he stated, as if it were obvious. She only sighed at his response; the children _did _love being mean.

"That should be everyone," Wendy said, deciding to allow the whole party to be her present to Peach.

"Wait," Peach mumbled, counting the Koopalings present. Seven. _But Bowser has eight children.. who is missing?_ A sudden mental image of a younger Bowser kidnapping her flashed through her mind, her blue eyes widening in sudden realization. "Where's Junior?"

"He went to find a gift," Ludwig answered, being the last to see him.

"No, I'm right here," he mumbled from the doorway, looking down.

"There ya are, pip squeak," Roy said in a bored tone. "Good job on being late."

"Shut up, Roy," he growled, locking eyes with the bully of the family. Roy stood up, taking a fighting stance.

"You want some, little guy?" he growled at Junior.

As Bowser opened his mouth to warn the boys of impending punishment, Peach went to stand between them. "Fighting like that doesn't solve anything. Both of you should know that," she scolded. Bowser grinned; she was already falling into the role of 'Mama Peach' quite nicely.

"Whatever," Roy muttered, looking off to the side. Junior only looked up at Peach, shocked to see her smiling down at him. She bent to be closer to eye-level.

"You didn't have to go try to get me a gift."

"I know, but I wanted to get you something special. Can I see your hand?"

Curious, Peach extended her arm, while Bowser stood up from his lounged position on the couch to loom over her shoulder. Junior reached behind his neck and undid his standard white bandana, taking the ends in both his hands. Everyone looked at him in surprise as he tied it around Peach's wrist, over her long satin gloves.

"King Dad gave it to me," he murmured, looking over her shoulder at Bowser. "But I want you to have it. You're the closest thing I'll ever have to a mom, and I wanted you to have something that meant a lot to me."

"Are you sure?" Peach inquired, turning her wrist to further examine the white bandana.

Junior nodded. "Yeah.. Please, accept it."

"I do," she said, reaching out to gently hug him, being careful to not prod her hands on his spiked shell. He lightly patted her sides, aware of the glares his siblings were giving him. Bowser, however, couldn't have been more proud. He felt like shouting from the castle roof that his family was complete, and he was the happiest Koopa alive.

"While everyone is giving you gifts, I have one I've been meaning to give you," Bowser stated, beginning to reach into his shell. Luck was not on his side, however, as Kamek chose that moment to barge into the room.

"Your Evilness, your presence is requested to review the ceremony and paperwork for tomorrow's coronation."

"Can't it wait?" Bowser roared impatiently, stomping his foot to punctuate his question. Kamek shook his head sadly.

"I apologize for breaking up your family time, but as king, you really must do this."

Bowser retracted his hand from his back, patting Peach's shoulder apologetically. "It'll have to wait for another time.. Perhaps tonight, perhaps at the ceremony. I'll see you at dinner, my Peach."

"Okay.." she trailed off as he left the room with Kamek, unsure if she wanted to be in charge of his children alone. Hoping it would not be _that_ bad, she glanced back at her charges with a smile.

Only to immediately have her face fall. Roy was pulling Junior's auburn ponytail, while the poor boy struggled. Iggy and Lemmy were tossing a ball about the room, occasionally bouncing it off Wendy, who shrieked in protest. Ludwig was pretending to be oblivious, his head pressed against his gift for Peach, while Larry colored another picture in the floor, and Morton gulped down the Peachy Peach smoothie.

Suddenly, Roy let go of Junior, causing the already off-balance Koopa to fall against an end table, knocking off what appeared to be an expensive lamp. Peach winced, pressing the index finger and thumb of her leg hand against the bridge of her nose.

Being a mother to eight Koopas was _not_ going to be easy.

* * *

A/N: Finally, done with this. I know a lot didn't happen, but I was building up their encounter. Next time, more caring for the Koopalings and Peach gets crowned the queen of the Darkland! Oh, and Bowser's present gets revealed. Woo! 


	3. Butterflies

Disclaimer: Nintendo owns all of the Mario-related characters, yadda, yadda, yadda, you know the drill.

A/N: I'm so pleased that so many people have already reviewed! Especially since several of them were people that write BowserxPeach fanfics that I love! I love you guys!

Also, I know this is five days later than my recent one-shot promised.. but I didn't expect to feel so sick so suddenly. I know the excuse won't turn back the clock, but I hope you'll forgive the belated update. I made the chapter a little bit longer than the rest, to try to make up for it.

**READ:**There are mild spoilers from SPM in Peach's dream, which is in italics. The sequence is something I came up with, as it is not elaborated on at the end. So it's kind of like my take on it, and I don't think it gives _too_ much away about what actually happens in the game.

* * *

Peach could not help but twitch slightly as she drummed her slender, gloved fingers along a sturdy, stone table. It looked heavy enough to take five Bowsers to lift, while what appeared to be flames and silhouettes of her husband's head were etched into the sides. It was quite the impressive work of art. 

The Koopalings manners, however, were not.

"Roy! Cut it out!" Junior whined, swatting at Roy's hand. The bully of the family was still angry that he had been forced to pick up the broken lamp, while Junior was not punished. The queen thought he got off easy for picking on Junior so frequently.

"Whassa matter? Gonna tell on me?" Roy crooned, continuing to poke at Junior's arm with his claw. His younger sibling growled out what sounded like a _yeah!_

"King Dad doesn't like a tattler," Wendy objected, idly filing a perfectly-painted claw. Junior scowled, but kept his mouth shut at that.

Peach slumped in her massive, wooden chair. It was painted gray to go with the polished table, but still adorned Bowser's signature face-silhouette and arm rests that appeared to turn into clawed hands. With her elbow on the armrest and her chin in her open palm, she watched over the Koopalings, quite aware of their conversation.

"I am aware that this looks quite dreadful, Mama Peach, but I can assure you.. It gets much worse," Ludwig commented from her side, the closest one to her. Peach gave him a tight smile, feeling a migraine building behind her eyes. At least she would finally get some food, if Bowser would finish his meeting soon. There was no eating without the Koopa King.

The rest of the Koopalings chattered away, most of them arguing over something or another, making the vast dining hall sound like the murmurs of a school cafeteria.

"I'm hungry," Larry, the youngest of the Koopalings, whined. He was usually the quiet one, using his stealth skills to spy on the others, but he had been so enthralled in his drawing that he had skipped out on lunch. His stomach was growling loud enough to rival his father's roar.

"I'm hungry, too!" Lemmy agreed, looking over at Iggy. Iggy tried to act more mature than his twin by adjusting his glasses and taking a sip of his Koopa Kola. Wendy, however, was more than happy to help with the whining.

"Mama Peach, we're all hungry. Like, why do we have to wait on King Dad?" She stuck her bottom lip out slightly in a pout, though her gaze was still focused on her manicured nails.

"That is just the way it is," Peach responded, her throat constricted with her fading patience. Oh, her head was pounding..

"Why?" Larry piped up, uttering the single most annoying word a child could learn.

"He would be upset. You don't want him to be upset, do you?" she tried a different approach, pleading with her eyes for them to drop it.

"Well, no, but—"

"Stop pestering Mama Peach." Junior came to her rescue. "She can't control King Dad."

"Actually, I do believe that King Dad would most graciously accept any suggestion from Mama Peach, if she so much as batted an eyelash at him."

"You're not helping, Ludwig," Peach said through a clenched smile, trying to keep her cool even when she doubted she could take one more complaint. Motherhood was hard work!

Before the eldest son could open his mouth to reply, a voice boomed from behind Peach, echoing in the dining hall. "Are you kids giving your mother any trouble?"

"No, King Dad," the chorused, putting on their best innocent smiles. Junior, Ludwig, and Iggy were the only silent ones.

Peach mouthed the word 'mother' up at Bowser, being sure to narrow her eyes enough that he knew she disliked it. He only grinned down at her with a nod. "You are Mama Peach, are you not?"

"Yes.. I am," she slowly said, closing her eyes. Bowser's smile faded slightly, turning into a concerned look.

"Are you all right, my dear?"

"I'm fine!" she shouted out, her hands tightening into fists in her lap. The whole room grew silent, surprised by her sudden outburst. The silence was deafening in her ears, though a clawed hand gripping her shoulder caused her to open her eyes again. Looking up, she met with Bowser's confused gaze, though it seemed a bit pained.

"I'm sorry," she muttered, inhaling deeply. It was not like her to snap at someone, unless.. Well, unless it was Bowser, which almost made it all right. Yet, she was only feeling overwhelmed by everything. The coronation was one thing.. Heck, even being married to Bowser did not seem as stressful as that, until it came time to take care of his children. One or two would have been fine, but _eight?_ It was a bit much for the young adult to handle all at once. "Let's just eat. Everyone was starving, waiting for you," she commented, forcing a smile. The solemn look on his face lightened, and he took a seat across from her at the long table.

All at once, this seemed to signify something grand; the waiters immediately scurried out, many of them Koopas or Dry Bones. Large plates clanked against the sturdy table in what sounded like a rhythm she had heard somewhere before in the Darkland. Once everything was set on the table, the waiters bowed in unison, then scurried out the door. Peach looked on awe-struck, while everyone else at the table began to furiously dig into their food.

"Are ya goin' ta eat, or what?" Roy gruffy asked around a mouthful of food, chewed bites spraying forth on his plate. The queen wrinkled her nose at the disgusting display, then focused down at her plate.

Mushroom stew, a grilled cheese, a tasty tonic, and a side of Peachy Peaches stared back at her. In that moment, her previous stressed waned, replaced instead by warmth from knowing that he always knew just what she wanted. She also couldn't help but notice that although he was currently devouring what was likely to be the biggest burger she would ever see, a small side of Peachy Peaches was on his plate as well. The big brute really could be a softy at times..

"This is simply delectable," Ludwig announced, the only one with any sort of table manners it seemed. Although his elbows, like his father's, were perched on the table, remnants of his steak clinging around his mouth, he had the decency to swallow before speaking.

"I think it's good.." Lemmy said in a confused tone of voice.

"Yeah," Wendy agreed, waving the end of a chicken drumstick in Ludwig's direction. "You're just, like, weird."

"I did not utter that it tasted appalling, but rather that it was scrumptious.." Ludwig trailed off, seeing the blank faces staring back at him and sighed. Peach lightly patted his arm with her gloved hand, a forkful of Peachy Peaches hovering above her plate in the other.

"You comprehend?"

"Of course. I have spent countless hours in the castle library," Peach admitted, receiving a huff from Bowser. The Koopa King himself had also spent many an hour reading, though it was only on books dealing with himself or the princess. However, he still had a reputation he was adamant about retaining, so he often denied books ever having any use, other than burning.

"That's, like, totally boring," Wendy rolled her eyes, while Ludwig's expression softened, his thoughts clearly on how at least someone would relate with him in the family.

Peach only smiled, her previous stress melting away as she popped another bite of a Peachy Peach into her mouth. With Bowser around, the children were his responsibility. They also acted somewhat better, all afraid that his mighty, scaled hand would tan their rumps.

Maybe it wasn't as hard as it seemed.

* * *

Or maybe it was. 

With the dinner finished, Kamek and Kammy were on duty to make sure the Koopalings stayed in their respective bedrooms and got some rest. Peach was exhausted; it had been a long day! She was still a princess when she woke up, and now she was a queen. The next day was to be the coronation ceremony, which would make her queen of her _husband's_ territory as well.

It was that husband that currently had her face a bright shade of red, though whether it was from her ever-building anger or abashment, he could not be certain. Bowser held his arm around her shoulders, looking rather pleased that the night was drawing to a close.

"My usual room is down the hall," Bowser heard Peach utter, her voice as melodic and soothing as ever. It was that voice he had come to cherish, even if it started out screeching in his ear. Ever since she had learned to talk, she had screamed that dreadful word whenever it would come time for him to kidnap her: _help!_ It often came attached to his nemesis's name.

"Bowser?" Peach inquired when he did nothing more than stand there, grinning, his clawed hand lightly gripping her shoulder. He finally turned his gaze downward, red eyes meeting crystal blue ones. The intensity of the emotion his eyes held made her shudder.

"Your _old_ room," he corrected as if he had never zoned out. His gaze continued down past her now-widened eyes, focusing on the way her unpainted lips parted in an inaudible gasp at the implications.

"Surely, you must not think I would be all right with sleeping in there with you," Peach huffed, those luscious lips beginning to twist into a frown. The Koopa's smile faded slightly, her happiness always mattering the most to him.

"We're married. It's what married couples do," he pointed out, speaking each syllable slowly. Color instantly flared into her cheeks, her gloved fingers fluttering just above the sapphire brooch in the center of her chest.

"Th-that's not what _I_ do!" Peach stammered out, appearing quite flustered. It confused the Koopa King for a moment, before he realized just what was going through the seemingly-innocent, young woman's mind. His laughter reverberated throughout the empty hallway, startling the queen at his side.

"Oh, Peachy," he mumbled with his shoulders still shaking with laughter. He used a pet name to try to make her feel at ease, but it only made her lean away from his one-armed embrace. Still, he held on, preventing her from getting loose. "I wasn't talking about _that._ I know you're nowhere near ready for that."

She blushed all over again, her face turning an even darker scarlet. Bowser had to admit, the color went well with her light pink dress. And his effect on her was pleasing.

"Well, um.." Peach trailed off, unable to come up with anything to say to that, her heart beating wildly in her chest. She wasn't even close to being ready for marriage, much less honeymoon activities. At least Bowser seemed to notice and respect that.

"But being married should mean that we share a room, should it not?"

"There are no rules stating we should," Peach parried, her gaze still transfixed on his bedroom's giant wooden door. Just because the royal laws decreed that she could not annul or divorce the Koopa King did not mean she had to act married. It was not like she was newly in love or even consented to the marriage, for that matter.

"How will it look if you don't? You're my wife, Peach!" Bowser held his palms flat up, staring hard at her face. It had become less flustered, though quite a bit of color still remained. At his words, however, her attention suddenly snapped to him, her blue eyes narrowing.

"How will it look if the 'Great King Bowser' isn't sleeping with his wife, right? How will your minions look at you after that?" It seemed that any debate over the issue was closed then. Once again, Bowser had stuck his foot in his mouth.

"That's not what-"

"It's _exactly_ what you meant." Turning on her heel decisively, the queen stomped back down the corridor, her heels clicking wildly as he watched her retreat. Sighing, the Koopa King realized he had messed up his first chance to sleep by her side, as well as yet another chance to give her his gift. He was not too discouraged, though; he would get to have countless more chances in the future.

She was his now, just as he had always—_always—_ been hers.

* * *

_"I don't know how you were raised, but I was taught to help people in need!" _

_Princess Peach could not believe she was hanging from a ledge, Mimi dangling upside-down from her grasp by the ankle. Even if she _was_ saving a nefarious villain who tried to kill her on more than one occasion, Peach did not have it in her to let go. If she had, she might have been able to pull herself up. But as it were, she was stuck hanging on for dear life, her arm shaking violently from the strain. _

_"Peach…" the green-haired villainess whispered in the silence, her voice much in a much softer tone than its previous bratty whine. Through her gloves, the princess could feel Mimi's body relaxing, though the princess's eyelids were clenched together tightly in her strain. _

_"Wait! I've got you…" Peach muttered, though it ended up being through clenched teeth at the end, coming off as more like a hiss of exhaled air. In truth, she was quickly losing what little __traction she had with her gloves; her palms were sweating under the pressure, dampening the fabric. As much as she concentrated, she could not hold on much longer, nor could she pull them up. What came next? Was she to dangle until the end of the worlds or until the Mario __brothers burst through the door to save her? When her fingers slipped from the surface, would Mario's own gloved hand catch her wrist, once again prolonging her existence?_

_She might have held on longer, yet another violent tremor shook through the area, much like the one that brought about their current situation. Her sweaty fingers were completely dispelled from the edge, and Peach felt her heart rise into her throat, preventing her from breathing while weightlessness set in for what seemed like an eternity. That dreadful moment soon passed, however, as gravity set in and the pair __were__ pulled straight down, their combined screams piercing through the silence._

_There were no profound thoughts as the air rushed up through her hair and Mimi's ankle slipped from her grasp. __Peach only thought of how it would be when someone found her body—if someone found her body, that is. With the end of the worlds imminent, she only hoped the Mario brothers could take down Count Bleck and the Chaos Heart. She also wondered for a moment if Bowser was even still alive after the rather loud crash that seemed to have flattened him with __O'Chunks_

_"What..? Princess Peach!" _

_Through her involuntary scream, she heard a boisterous voice answer her unvoiced query. The next thing Peach knew, she had hit the bottom, __which__ was surprisingly soft. The ground groaned beneath her, and she slowly opened her eyes. Something was amiss._

_"Are you __okay__?" the gruff voice inquired, though the tone seemed concerned. Peach then realized just where she was: on Bowser's chest and stomach! It seemed that he had laid back to catch her, not letting her get anywhere close to his spiked shell. His clawed hands gripped her arms firmly, keeping her from tumbling off the side. _

_"Bowser!" she gasped when her attention finally made its way back to his red eyes, his gaze scrutinizing her body, checking her for signs of injury. "You're alive."_

_"Looks that way, huh?" he muttered sarcastically, though she could feel him heave a sigh of relief that she was unscathed. "It's a good thing, too, or you'd be dead."_

_Peach only numbly nodded to his statement, knowing that it was all too true. Sliding from his soft belly, she stood on wobbly feet, her heels threatening to turn in under her.__ She was always on the brink of death, saved by whatever "hero" decided to step up. It was her role as a perpetual damsel in distress.__Yet it __just so happened that this time__ one of her abductors happened to play the part of the hero.__ Bowser was forced to flip over onto his stomach before he could push himself back up to a standing position, but he did so quickly, so she would not ca__tch his moment of weakness. It __was like that for any __Koopa__, yet it was always harder for him because of the large spikes protruding from all angles. _

_"Thank you," the princess muttered as she adjusted her crown, focusing on a point on his snout. His gaze was much too intense to stare directly at; it seemed that he was troubled by his last statement. She could only imagine he was thinking of how close he had come to losing her forever to death. Not that their games hadn't "ended" earlier in the adventure__ But she __was sure smashing into the ground would have been much more permanent that being warped __to the __Over__there_

_"Don't thank me for saving your life," he replied while waving his hand as if swatting a mosquito away from his face. "That's what your hubby's supposed to do!"_

_Peach rolled her eyes at his statement, thinking of how he never gave their 'sham of a wedding' a rest. Instead of dignifying it with a response, her mind suddenly remembered just why he was saving her life: Mimi!_

_"Oh __my gosh__!" The words rushed out on a single breath. "Where's Mimi?"_

_"'at __lass is__ right 'ere," came the reply, the distinct accent belonging to none other than __O'Chunks__. Peach turned toward the sound of his voice, finding him standing off to the side, Mimi's body cradled in his massive arms. Her eyes were closed, but she appeared to be unharmed and breathing. __"Seems the fall took its toll on '__er__ But she looks all '__ight__."_

_Peach turned again to the large __Koopa__ by her side, smiling. "How did you both end up unharmed?"_

_Bowser shrugged lightly, brushing it off as no big deal. "We fell through a hole before the ceiling collapsed."_

_"I'm glad you're all right." The pink-clad princess began to turn and look for an exit.__ "But we need to hurry back to Mario, Luigi, and __Tippi__. We have to help them take down the Chaos Heart and save the worlds!"_

_Bowser nodded, following behind the princess, leaving __O'chunks__ to tend to Mimi. "Peach," he began, causing her to pause in mid-stride to turn back and look at him. Another tremor suddenly shook the __ground, and the princess stumbled, caught off-guard by the sudden, violent shaking. Her thin heel turned, and her leg collapsed under her, causing her to go down. Reacting quickly, Bowser grabbed onto her arms effortlessly, keeping her from crumbling to the shaking ground. Once the tremor was over, the princess found herself held closely to the large __Koopa__'s__ chest—the same soft chest that had cushioned her fall mere moments beforehand. _

_As she was able to stand on her own two feet, she took a step back, yet her "hubby" still held loosely to her forearms. "I'll never let anything happen to you," he muttered honestly, finally completing his statement. _

_Peach could only give him a smile, stepping away from his grasp._

_"I know, Bowser," she replied. "I know."_

* * *

Sunlight burned through the flimsy pink curtains covering a massive window in her room, causing Peach's eyelids to twitch, clenching tighter shut. With a groan, she pulled a thick, equally-pink comforter over her head, her body curling up to a more fetal position beneath the cover. If she held on tighter to the cover, then she would be able to get back to sleep. 

Someone began knocking on her door, and she groaned again, though much louder this time.

"Five more minutes, Toadsworth!" she croaked, her voice hoarse and thick with sleep. Though it was a bit muffled from under the comforter, whoever was knocking had taken the liberty to let themselves in, therefore hearing her tired plea.

"I'm, like, totally sorry, Mama Peach, but I ain't a 'shroom," came the amused reply. Peach's eyes snapped open, memories flooding back of the night before. Had it really not been a crazy dream?

No, her only crazy dream came from the memory of when Bowser had saved her life on their last adventure. It had been only a few days before everything was placed on her shoulders, but she found it hard to believe. It seemed so long ago that they had fought Count Bleck and his minions to save the worlds. Yet.. she still had bruises on her legs from miscalculated attacks.

A hand with manicured claws yanked the covers from Peach's now-loosened grip, exposing her to the bright sunlight. Her pupils instantly dilated, and she shrieked, shielding her face with her hands. "Don't do that!"

Wendy O. chuckled, letting the covers fall around the queen's waist. "Sorry 'bout that. But King Dad wanted you to be awake for breakfast. The ceremony is today, ya'know."

"Yes, I understand," Peach mumbled, getting up from the soft bed. If it wasn't for the stone walls and the rug with a red silhouette of Bowser's head, she would think it was her own room. This room, however, had a television and a much larger shower, installed specifically for her. Bowser had always gone to great lengths to make sure she felt relaxed when she was at his castle.

The night before, when she had mechanically entered her room, she found that her numerous bags were already unpacked—only in _his_ room. A maid had left a note tacked to the closet door, relaying that message. Of course, it wasn't _so_ bad; there was always a set of pink pajamas set aside for her, as well as a spare dress. She had gratefully worn the pajamas, then slipped beneath the warm covers. There was a twang of guilt at leaving Bowser so abruptly, since she knew that he wasn't _really_ one to care what his minions thought when it came to her.. but.. she had desired a better reason than _that_ to share a bed with the Koopa.

"He said somethin' about it being just like yours.. It'll be in the afternoon, only he'll already be out there, so you'll have to walk in alone."

"Wonderful," Peach said with a false cheerfulness. For some reason, the butterflies in her stomach fluttered around rapidly at the thought of walking down the place alone. In her mind, it was as if everyone was in a giant volcano, and she would walk across the rope bridge to the end, hoping it wouldn't collapse or get snagged on her heel.

"It won't be so bad," Wendy curtly replied, blowing on her nails. Peach shook her head, shifting to stand up, now towering over her new step-daughter, who was now filing her claws into perfect points.

"You're right," the young queen lied, fidgeting with the white bandana still tied around her wrist. Even though she had removed her gloves, she had retied it there, taking some strange comfort in the fact that it once belonged to both Bowser and his youngest son.

"Just get dressed and, like, come on down, all right?" At Peach's nod, the messenger was gone from her room, the wooden door slammed behind her. A series of clumsy clicks echoed through the halls, retreating onto a connecting corridor. Pausing at the closet, the queen took several deep breaths, her hands braced on the wooden frame squaring off the entrance. When the butterflies finally calmed enough to not make her vomit in an effort to escape, she took the spare dress from the hanger, then changed clothes. She would shower before she adorned the ceremonious dress; Peach was sure she would have spare time after eating.

With her red heels back on her feet, she exited the room and began making her way to the dining area, the white bandana tied around her now-gloved wrist. The sharp clicks echoed in the silent hall, but they were much more dignified and graceful than Wendy's clunking around. Peach would have to teach that girl just how to walk like the princess she is. Before she could turn on the correct corridor, she noticed she had reached Bowser's large wooden door. Was he awake yet? If not, they would have to wait for him to get there, and she would have to make sure the chaos was at a minimum.

Resigned, she rapped her knuckles against the front of his door, then listened for any sound of movement. There was none. She tried again, then time a little more forcefully.

Still nothing.

Exhaling quickly in a huff, Peach turned sharply on her heel and went into the next corridor, realizing that it wasn't the first time in twenty-four hours that she was angrily storming away from his room. Of course, the night before was what brought about the anger for today, but she still felt a bit ashamed of her actions. It wasn't very fair to him that she should be upset just because he wasn't in his room. For all she knew, he was already sitting at the table, everyone waiting on her arrival to eat.

However, this was not the case. When she arrived at the table, all of the Koopalings were already seated and as noisy as ever, most of them bickering with one another. Bowser's chair was empty, but the waiters immediately began serving everyone as soon as her rump hit the seat of the chair.

"What about Bowser?" she inquired, looking over to Ludwig. He was the only one not arguing with the others, but instead scribbling like mad on a lined piece of paper. His face turned to hers, his features displaying that he was clearly annoyed at being interrupted. Peach sunk back sheepishly, a bit taken aback. "Nevermind.."

"You won't see him until the ceremony," Junior piped up as Ludwig resumed scribbling. If she strained, she could hear the eldest Koopaling humming under his breath. It seemed that he was in the middle of a breakthrough composition.

"I won't?" Peach seemed a bit deflated as she turned her eyes to the youngest, who only nodded. She had been hoping to make up with the Koopa King before the ceremony took place. Without him around.. the butterflies were bound to start up again.

Nervously thinking about the coronation, Peach picked at her fruit salad, every now and then taking a sip of her lemonade. One by one, the Koopalings seemed to begin to understand her distress and quiet down somewhat, each one muttering about what they should do. Whatever plans they could have conjured up were meaningless, however, as Peach stood up from the table just as Kamek entered through the door.

"Well, your Highness, are you already done with breakfast?" he inquired, leaning on his staff. She snapped from her thoughts and turned to face him, forcing a smile.

"Why, yes, Kamek. It was lovely." Scooting along the floor slightly, she tried to conceal her half-eaten fruit dish from view.

The elderly magikoopa only nodded, and Peach was suddenly reminded of Toadsworth. She only hoped he was doing all right in the castle without her. Perhaps he could be proud that she was queen, instead of being upset over her marriage to Bowser. That seemed to be the case when she departed, at least.

"Your attire is ready, if you would like to get ready for your final coronation. I know you must be tired of these ceremonies, but this is the last one for a long time," he tried to comfort her. She gratefully nodded, though glanced back at the table, where the Koopalings had resumed eating and chattering away. Well.. bickering would be the operative word.

"What about them?"

"Hm? Oh, Kammy will watch them." Kamek swirled his staff around slightly, as if he were mixing something with a long spoon. The tip glowed red, and Kammy appeared at his side, holding what looked like Peach to be some sort of broom. She assumed it was the female counterpart to the jeweled staff.

"What do you want?" she sneered at Kamek, always holding a nasty disposition toward Bowser's other right-hand magikoopa. He merely smiled, wrinkles pulling up at the sides of his face.

"Kammy, you need to make sure the Koopalings don't destroy anything before the coronation," he informed her. She huffed, her arms shoved in her sleeves and a protest clearly on her lips. However, she could not deny that Bowser would have her head should she not perform that task, so she only glared at the male magikoopa from behind her thick-framed glasses. Gripping her broom firmly, she marched over to the table, while Kamek focused on Peach again. "It should be hanging in your closet now. There's still some time before the coronation, so take your time getting ready."

"Thank you," Peach murmured, starting down the hall again. She felt a bit off-balance without some sort of crown on her head, but it was once again being affixed with another jewel. This one would surely be like the symbols all over the castle: a silhouette of Bowser's manically-grinning face. Looking at those symbols used to fill her with dread and a sense of being overpowered. Now, they were simply Bowser. He may be conceited enough to have his castle's décor primarily consist of statues and paintings of himself, but it was who he was.

Whoever made the statues knew what he or she was doing, also; they were so detailed that she could see the scales lining his epidermis. The queen had even glimpsed a statue of herself in a courtyard of sorts, which had been modeled after her own. Flowers and grass were not native to the Darkland, so Bowser had them imported and hired a staff to make sure everything was perfectly groomed, watered, and beautiful.

_Just like you!_ Peach could recall him announcing as he showed her a couple of years back. She had been touched by how much effort he put into it and referred to him as 'sweet.' That remark brought out a protest that evil rulers were _not_ sweet and a slight scowl, though she could tell that he was actually relieved that she liked the place.

Turning into her room again, Peach shut the door behind her and went straight to the shower. She was not in a hurry to look at her dress, as she could only imagine what ghastly dark color they would pick out. Black? Dark purple? It _is_ Darkland, so she expected something menacing. That was not her style at all

During the shower, she managed to put her mind at ease with the hot water. It was naturally scolding, as there was lava under—and in some cases, inside—the castle. So, there was a cooling system installed, where she turned the knob to adjust how much cooler she would want the water to be. She always settled for just below scolding, as hot showers always seemed to melt the tension away from her body.

When she was relaxed and clean, she wrapped a towel around her hair and slipped on a pink robe. The _shower curtain_ was even pink! Bowser had completely decked out her room to be as homely as possible, although she knew this room was an eyesore to his children and minions. Well, except Wendy; she took on the princess role of liking pink as well, which was mostly because it is the color of her shell.

A loud knock was at her door, and Peach inwardly groaned, glancing at her make-up-less face in the mirror. It was rare to see her without somewhat-painted lips or at least a touch of mascara or eyeliner. With her newly-washed face, she felt prone to a scrutinizing gaze, and remained paused at the bathroom entryway, pretending she did not hear it. It was probably just one of the children, anyway..

The door slowly began to open, and her eyes widened; she had forgotten that Bowser never reinstalled a lock on her door. She had lost that privilege when she locked herself inside several years ago, even after promising she would unlock it, should someone need to see her. That act of betrayal on his trust had only gotten her the angry side of Bowser, who knocked the door off its hinges and ripped the locking mechanism clean off the door, only to wordlessly retreat back to his own room. It was one of the very few times she had ever actually been afraid of him.

_Speak of the Koopa,_ Peach thought as she witnessed the familiar large king poke his head into her room. She glanced at him from around the door frame of the bathroom, looking a bit comical with her wide eyes and towel-turban.

"There you are," he proclaimed as he noticed her, opening the door wider to let himself inside. "Why didn't you answer?"

"I didn't hear it," she lied, rather lamely. She was always such a horrible liar.

"Sure," he assented, though it was clear that he was not fooled. "Are you almost ready for the ceremony?"

"I guess," she muttered, finally stepping forward to let him see her wearing the robe, a few wayward strands of blonde hair clinging to her face.

"I think you look perfect," he said with a grin, though a certain awkward tension hung in the air between them. A bit of color rushed to her cheeks, unbridled by the usual thin coat of make-up she wore on her cheeks. It made her natural blush much deeper than it would have otherwise been.

"I thought I would not see you until the ceremony."

"I never was one to listen to other people. I do what I want," Bowser smugly stated, a thin line of smoke blowing from his nose. Peach only nodded, feeling her apology stick in her throat. Why ruin a conversation by bringing up last night's events? "Have you seen the gown yet?"

"I haven't bothered to look yet," she admitted, following his gaze to the closet. She could tell he was curious to see as well, so she placed a naked hand on the doorknob and pulled open the door. Inside was.. well..

Possibly the most hideous dress she had seen in her life.

"It's _green_?" the queen gasped in shock, wrinkling her face in disgust. Bowser's face, however, lit up; he thought it would look beautiful on her delicate frame.

"It's the color of my shell," he commented, reaching around her to take the hanger from the rod. Holding it up to her repulsed body, his grinned widened. "It'll look so beautiful on you, my wife!"

Peach could only blink for a moment, before finally managing to get out, "Why _green_?"

"Normally, it's black.. But after I saw you wearing that black dress while the Shadow Queen possessed you.. I never wanted to see you wear black _ever_ again! The same goes for purple.

"Then, there's red. Mario has destroyed any joy I could hold for that color, so it was out. Yellow is too cheerful and would remind me of your energetic cousin. So, green was the obviously the only choice left!"

".. What about blue, brown, or even orange?"

The king wrinkled his nose. "Blue is too cheerful-"

"Dark blue!" she protested. The current green made her think of vomit, which did not help her butterfly-induced illness.

"It's still not as good as green," he argued, deflating a bit. "You really hate the dress?"

"No.. No, I don't hate it at all," she lied again. Here she was, upsetting Bowser. Instead, she felt that she should have been happy he put that much thought into it. It was better than wearing a black or purple dress and looking like Shadow Peach again. "It's just that Luigi wears green, so I thought that you.. you know. Wouldn't like it," she rambled, trying to make it believable.

This time, he bought it. "Oh, it's a darker green than that green 'stache runs around wearing. Like my shell," he reiterated.

"All right," Peach mumbled, taking the dress from his large hands to examine it herself. She had to admit, aside from the color, it was stunningly-made. A layer of ruffles lined a slit in the side of the dress that reached about mid-calf, while a train of lacy ruffles came from the back, in a lighter green than the rest of the dress: Luigi's green. The midsection lacked a corset, she noticed, instead being a on the plain side. It also zipped instead of tied. The satin fabric and lacy silk made up for its simplicity, however, drawing an honest smile from the queen. "It's beautiful, Bowser."

"Yes. You are," he responded, watching her cheeks light up again. He _always_ took pleasure out of flustering the blonde before him, especially when he got to glimpse her natural face. He could barely tell it was any different than normal; she was so far up on a pedestal in his mind that her beauty seemed to know no bounds.

"The dress, Bowser," she corrected, but he only lifted a massive shoulder in a shrug. "I should get ready."

"Okay, okay, I'll leave you to that," Bowser mumbled, waving his hand dismissively. As he turned, though, he suddenly remembered just why he had snuck away from his kingly duties to check on his wife. "I keep forgetting, but I want you to have something before you become queen of Darkland."

Peach blinked at him as he reached inside the rim of his bulky shell, his face lighting up as his clawed fingers curled around a small box. When he pulled it out, his whole hand covered the object, keeping it from view.

"Bowser, what-" Peach broke off as he knelt before her, though he was still taller than her while he was bent on one knee. A gasp got lodged in her throat—surely, he wasn't about to..

Yet with a flick of his thumb, the top of a velvet box sprung open, revealing to her a gorgeous ring. The ring itself was yellow gold (to match her hair, of course), and multiple diamonds were set inside what appeared to be a Koopa shell, each glimmering multiple colors from the rays of sunlight coming through the window. Her gaze flew from the ring, to Bowser's face, her blue irises seemingly swallowed by the large whites of her eyes.

"I'm not proposing," he stated with a cocky grin. "We're already married. But, when I did propose, I was going to use this ring. So, it's only right you have it now, whether you were forced into saying 'I do' or not."

Her throat was too constricted to form words. Instead, she only extended her shaking left hand and watched Bowser pluck the ring from the box with a gentleness he rarely showed. As he slipped it on her naked hand, she suddenly thought of how she would not wear gloves for a while, just because it would be more comfortable that way.

When the ring was pushed all the way onto her finger, she flexed her hand, examining the diamonds sparkling back at her. Her attention then returned to her husband, surprised to see that his eyes appeared glassy than usual. _Is he really that happy over a ring?_ Peach wondered, unable to do much more than simply smile at him.

"Thank you," she finally managed, after clearing her throat. Such a gift warranted an embrace, so she stepped forward and lightly wrapped her arms around him, incredibly aware that she only had on a robe. The Koopa King wrapped his arms back around her, pressing her body against his chest, while accidently knocking the towel turban from her head. Her damp hair spilled out, looking wild and much darker than when it was dry. Bowser bent over slightly, pressing his cheek against her own, a bit of her wet hair clinging to it and feeling cold against his skin. For a moment, the two remained like that, until Peach unstiffened in his massive arms and closed her eyes.

"Thank you for accepting it," he murmured next to her ear, his heated breath stirring the blonde hair around her earlobe and tickling her. She could feel the goosebumps rise on her arms. He pulled away abruptly, bending over to pick up her towel and hand it to her. "I really should go now, so get dressed and Kamek will escort you there."

Peach nodded, but he was already closing the door behind him. As soon as she could no longer hear his heavy footsteps—how did she miss those before, anyway?—she sucked in a ragged breath, holding it in until her lungs forced her to expel it in a rush.

Then she sank down to the ground and crossed her arms over her midsection. The butterflies were stirred up again.

Only this time, it wasn't because of the coronation.

* * *

A/N: So, the gift got revealed! Everyone kept saying that they knew what it was.. I almost changed it to something like a gaudy necklace or a piece of candy, just so I could say, "OH! You weren't expecting THAT, were you?" But I know it wasn't hard to assume it would be a ring.. And for some reason, I kept imagining the diamonds in a turtle shell. I don't know why, so here it is. If someone already did that, then I'm sorry for stealing your idea. 


	4. Flames of Passion?

**Disclaimer: Guess what? I still don't own any of these characters! Nintendo is still the supreme ruler.**

**A/N: After cleaning out my hotmail to discover it was absolutely full of reviews and PM's, I decided a new chapter was in order! I do apologize for the belated-ness. I always say, "Oh, it won't happen again" but in truth, it's the life of a college student struggling with anatomy. The least I can do is type my heart away for the next hour or so to get my faithful readers a new story of blossoming love!**

**And besides, Change of Heart was updated, so now I _have_ to!

* * *

**

"Kids. Settle. Down."

Three words had never been so tightly ground out before, nor had such an effect to instantly quiet all eight of the Koopalings. The fire burning in their father's eyes went well with the color of his irises, but Wendy O. would not even point that out. Each one stilled in the uncomfortable metal chairs, trying hard not to shift and produce a horrible screeching sound like claws against a chalkboard. It was obvious that Bowser was both nervous and impatient. The grand hall had already been filled with residents from all over the Darkland. Even with the area being at least three times larger than the one in Mushroom Kingdom, after only thirty minutes, hundreds had been turned away. The whole castle grounds were crowded with a sea of Bowser's subjects, not wanting to miss history in the making.

With the front row of his children quiet, Bowser focused on the grand, double doors at the end of the Great Hall. His silhouette grinned madly back at him, carved so that it was completed only when both doors were shut. The fact that it was still complete only unnerved him to the point that he wanted to strip it right off the wooden surface with his claws and smash it until it was nothing more than a heap of toothpicks.

"Sire, you must relax or you're going to appear _angry_," Kammy instructed from his side, drawing his attention to her. She bristled under his glare, which made him realize he _was_ looking angry. Well, that would not be comforting for Peach at all. He should be happy that she is becoming Queen of Darkland! He should be floating on air down all the corridors and dancing up on the stage to a love song only he could hear.

But instead, he was only antsy that it wasn't him walking beside her. He wanted to be there to make sure she was comfortable, to make sure that she wasn't nervous over the coronation as she was in her own kingdom. He was sure it was even worse in his territory because it was much larger and it wasn't _her_ subjects. At least not yet.

Then, it happened. The insanely-grinning face spilt in half as the doors parted, a lovely vision in koopa-green standing in the center. Her blonde hair stuck out in its usual unruly (but ever endearing) manner, her made-up face serene as she stood frozen in time, half-lidded blue hues extinguishing the fire in his gaze. Bowser's heart seemed to leap into his throat, and for that moment, he forgot how to breathe.

Time unfroze when she stepped forward, a dainty heel clicking softly against the cobbled stone floor in the silence that had encompassed the entire hall. Her naked hands remained at her sides as she strode forward across a distance that seemed to span eternity. All the time, their eyes remained locked on one another's, Bowser willing his wife to be comfortable during her approach, while Peach only tried to ignore the gawking stares of the Darkland natives.

All the while Peach slowly walked to Bowser, Kamek had slipped in behind her and hurried to the stage. As soon as he was beside the Koopa King, he started reciting the age-old traditional speech about bringing in a new ruler, just as the second-in-command of her royal council had the day before. The monotonous tone he used did not help the boring, formal speech about the kingdom, but did allow it to be completely tuned out by everyone. In fact, the only one that actually paid attention was Ludwig. Being the eldest, and therefore next-in-line to the throne, he was interested in the way everything worked in the kingdom, especially when it dealt with becoming ruler.

"You look.." Bowser began to whisper when Peach finally reached the top of the stage, only to be cut-off by her raised hand. He immediately noticed the diamond ring sparking in the overhead lights of the Great Hall, his eyes taking on the soft, glassy look of before.

"I heard it yesterday," she whispered back, her gaze raising from his eyes to his eye_brows_. At least they couldn't stare back at her with love. "You need to be paying attention, Bowser," she chided in a low tone, hoping no one would notice they were conversing during Kamek's traditional speech.

"Oh. Right." In a moment, the look was gone, replaced instead by the tyrannical gleam he often tried to keep around his subjects. They had to remain loyal to his maniacal monarchy, after all.

As Kamek finished up, he gave his king an exaggerated bow, which was the signal that it was Bowser's turn. Bowser curtly nodded in response, clearing his voice so it could be as clear and boisterous as ever.

"Kamek is right; this woman will now be your queen and your leader, right by my side. But, I guess you all saw this coming, right?" The crowd erupted into affirmative cheers, and he smirked. "She's also my wife.." Trailing off, he took her left hand in his own, slowly bringing it up to his lips. This allowed for a public display of affection to the back of her hand, as well as for everyone to see the glimmering diamonds affixed to her ring finger. Collective gasps ensued, right on cue.

When she drew her hand back, Peach tucked a strand of hair behind her ear in a nervous habit, her fingers trembling. In reality, she was really trying to hide her flushed face, her warm smile still intact.

"This crown," Bowser continued, taking the crown that Kamek held up for him, "has already had the Mushroom Kingdom jewel attached to it. Well, now it has the symbol of the Darkland, a jewel in the likeness of yours truly, of course." His smirk widened as he turned her precious crown to show the same open-mouthed silhouette that was all throughout the castle affixed to the golden surface. "With this crown, you are officially Queen of the Darkland."

In a climatic moment, Peach watched from under her thick, blonde bangs as the circular crown descended to the top of her head, the familiar weight making her feel more balanced. "Thank you," she said, though her words were swallowed up as she crowd echoed with cheering and applause, the whole audience on their feet. Some stomped wildly, while Kammy struggled to keep the Koopalings under control, who jumped up and down on their seats. Even though the sound was deafening, Bowser could still read the gratitude on those luscious painted lips of hers, pulled taunt in a genuine smile. His smirk had become a warm smile as well, his hands still hovering above his waist as if he wished to embrace his queen.

This time, there was no sitting down to signify that she was their ruler, no speeches, no more formalities. There was just the happiness of her new subjects, ecstatic over the fact that their king's greatest ambition had finally become a reality. His dream woman was ruling by his side in wedlock!

Thankfully, it wasn't a dream any longer.

* * *

After the coronation was complete, a feast was held in Peach's honor. Anyone that could fit into the dining hall was welcome to the food, which just so happened to be everyone from the Great Hall. Peach spoke to many of the subjects that approached her, appearing as friendly to them as she did to her own Toad subjects in the Mushroom Kingdom. It was interesting to hear of many towns she had never been able to visit before.

"Are you enjoying yourself, my queen?" Bowser piped up from behind her, startling the blonde. Since the party of sorts had begun, he had been mingling himself, allowing her time to get to know the various groups that inhabited the Darkland. Bandits, Koopas, Shy Guys, Goombas, and various other creatures weren't exactly native to her home, which was primarily Toads. The Koopa King just wanted to be sure that she would be able to connect with such other creatures. If she harbored any grudges over being carted off by them over the years, she did not let it show.

"Don't sneak up on me, Bowser," she chided him once again, though her expression was radiant. "I'm enjoying myself very much. Where have you been all this time? You disappeared as soon as they brought out the food."

"I was talking myself, love," he stated, before raising two sparkling glasses of some dark liquid. He extended one to Peach, who only raised a slender eyebrow in response. "A toast to the start of a grand adventure?"

She stared at the glass for a moment, before raising her gaze to the mischievous gleam in Bowser's eyes. "Or you want me to get a little tipsy and forget the my bedroom is down the hall, hm?"

"That really hurts, Peach. I would never do that to you," he countered, the other glass pressed against his chest as if she had given him a blow to the heart. "Now you have to drink it."

"I'm not buying it."

"Okay, okay. It's non-alcoholic, I promise. Kamek drank all the alcohol the night before last."

"It's true," Kamek butted in, nodding sagely. Peach's blue eyes widened considerably at his sudden appearance, but before she could question the interruption, the sound of glass breaking caused her to wince. "Oh, I told you not to swim in the punch bowl, Lemmy!" And with a whirl of his blue cloak, Kamek had disappeared into the crowd yet again.

Both parties stared at where the magikoopa had been standing, blinking. Bowser quickly cleared his throat. "Well, maybe he had some reserves for tonight. But, I promise this is only Koopa Punch."

Resigned to her fate, Peach took the glass from him at last, then clinked it lightly against his. Before he could make a proper toast, she took a sip, pleasantly surprised to find that it tasted delightfully fruity and wasn't spiced up like Morton's gift to her. "It's delicious, Bowser."

"Told you," he grumbled, though the smile had not left his face all evening.

* * *

Night had befallen the castle, even if it was perpetually dark in Bowser's territory. The sky was like an unfathomable void when night approached, sucking in the light from the castle's windows. Many of subjects that had attended the coronation and feast were beginning to leave, while the outside crowd had thinned considerably to a persistent few groups still wishing to push their way inside.

The Koopalings had managed to give Kammy and Kamek the slip during the party thanks to Roy knocking over the punch bowl with a couple of thrown dinner rolls. They had all rejoined in their playroom.

"We, like, totally have to find a way to get Mama Peach in King Dad's bedroom tonight," Wendy O. insisted, shaking a nail file for emphasis.

"Why do we have to do that?" Junior questioned when the other Koopalings started nodding. Larry also seemed confused.

"You're not old enough ta understand," Roy answered, drawing a growl from Bowser Junior.

"What exactly are they not old enough to understand?" Iggy cautiously asked Roy, whom was thankful for his dark sunglasses to hide his own confusion.

"That mommies and daddies share a room," Lemmy slowly answered, though it dawned on each of the Koopalings that they had no idea just why married couples had the same room. Being the only girl, Wendy decided to clarify what she thought was the right answer.

"You guys are such dorks! When you, like, love one another, it totally tears you up inside to, like, be away from the other person! So, you sooo don't want to be in separate rooms! Duh!"

"Well, I coulda told 'em that!" Roy yelled, before remembering that they were trying to be quiet so they wouldn't be caught by the two magikoopas. Thankfully, Morton was listening for once, his large mouth shut so he would not receive Roy's fist down his throat. The last time he had been offered a 'knuckles sandwich' he learned rather quickly that it was not pleasant nor was it delicious.

"Oh. Well, we need to make sure that she sleeps in his room tonight, then!" Junior cheerfully stated, almost hopping with energy over it. "I really want King Dad and Mama Peach to be happy together."

"Like, I know," Wendy said, selfishly trying to take all the conversation time like Roy. "I mean, did you see that _ring?_ It was so totally shiny!"

"The copious amount of diamonds encrusted into the encompassing rim of the koopa shell affixed to her finger does not amount to her level of happiness," Ludwig spoke up, though his attention was on a notepad full of unintelligible scribbles. The other seven pairs of eyes only blankly stared, no one but Iggy coming close to understanding what he said.

"Anyway," Roy went on as if Ludwig had never spoken, "I've got tha perfect plan. But we need ya Ludwig, so put down that paper!"

* * *

"This day turned out pretty good," Peach said as Bowser escorted her back to her room. Her cheeks hurt from smiling so much, but the party had finally thinned out enough to tell the remaining guests to go home.

"Yeah," Bowser agreed, his attention focused on the ring glinting from her finger. _Best day ever, so far. Next to our wedding, of course._

"Tomorrow is going to be hard to follow today. Maybe I'll sleep in all day," Peach trailed off in a yawn for emphasis of how exhausted the day had made her.

"I think you should wake up early. It's your first full day as queen of the Darkland."

"Oh, don't spoil my dreams of sleeping late for once."

A thin line of smoke coming from under Peach's bedroom door caught her attention, however, halting their light conversation. "Is.. Something burning?" she asked, a bit of panic lacing her tone as her nose wrinkled. Bowser's snout visibly moved as he sniffed the air, his mouth becoming a thin, taunt line as he fought back a snarl.

Ripping the door back only gave the fire inside added oxygen, the flames charring Peach's _bed_ almost reaching the ceiling. Amazingly, it was the only thing in the room that had caught fire, blazing beautifully in the darkness. The queen's startled gasp and wide, frightened eyes sent the Koopa King into action, roaring out, "Kamek! Get here _now_!"

The elderly, male magikoopa appeared in an instant. "Yes, what.. Oh." His face visibly blanched when he saw the roaring fire consuming the fair woman's bed, and he quickly reacted by raising his jeweled staff above his head. The three primary colors swirled together, forming a bright white light that quickly flashed over the bed. Suddenly, water gushed down onto the fire, as if someone had just overturned a large bathtub. The flames were extinguished, smoke streaming from the charred and blackened mattress.

"My bed.. Was someone.. trying to kill me?" Peach mumbled, mostly talking to herself. However, Bowser heard and shook his head, his fiery hair brushing across the ivory rim of his spiked shell.

"No. This was deliberately meant for your bed.." Bowser narrowed his eyes. "Where are the children?" he barked at Kamek, though his gaze remained glued to her still-smoking bed.

"I lost track of them at the party, sire," he admitted, his own gaze averted.

Bowser only nodded, finally glancing back at Peach. Her blue eyes seemed crystalline, bare hands covering her mouth, jaw ajar. He suspected his children were behind this, even though Ludwig was the only one that could breathe fire. Sometimes, he was easily influenced under peer pressure. It was a need to fit in derived from being so different from his other siblings that he sometimes fulfilled by joining in their 'harmless' schemes.

"You'll sleep in my room tonight, Peach," Bowser instructed, his tone clear that he was not going to be swayed. But when did that ever stop Peach?

"But, Bowser--"

"No. No buts."

"I.. I can sleep in another room. There are tons of rooms in this castle!" No matter how she protested, however, it did not matter. Bowser scooped her up into his large arms, wary of his spiked cuffs. Peach automatically squirmed, though tried not to get the satin or lace of the coronation dress snagged on the spikes or his scales. "Bowser! Put me down!"

Bowser ignored her protest, carrying her down the hall while Kamek watched from the doorway. Knowing when to take his leave, the magikoopa raised his wand, the ruby gem glowing momentarily before he vanished to locate the mischievous Koopalings.

When he reached his bedroom door, Bowser loosened his hold enough for Peach to slip down so he could free a hand to push it open. "Bowser!" The koopa in question did nothing more but push her inside and turn his back. This earned him a quizzical glance instead of a glare.

"You sleep in my bed tonight so you'll be comfortable. I know how you feel, so I'll sleep in another room." Peach opened her mouth to protest again and claim that it should be the other way around, but he raised a hand to silence her. It was obvious he was going to be the stubborn koopa she knew throughout the years, intent on making her feel at home.

"I.. Bowser.."

"Goodnight Peach," he said, being firm to show that there was no room for argument. The queen found herself missing the light-hearted way he called her 'love' or 'Peachy.'

"Goodnight Bowser.." she returned, watching as he headed back down the hall. When he was out-of-sight, she closed the door and turned back to his bed, finding it plush and extravagant. The bedspread was in a deep royal red, and the sheets were even satin. It surprised Peach that he would have such comfortable sleeping arrangements; weren't koopas used to sleeping on rocks? But then again, he had planned to marry her before she could even speak, so she wouldn't put it past the bulky koopa to think of her as he got his mattress set up. It was certainly big enough for them to both fit with ample room to toss and turn during the night.

Peach found her bags resting against a dresser and rummaged through one for some pajamas. After disrobing from the coronation gown and gently placing it over the back of a chair, she changed into her pajamas and climbed into the bed.

"Wow," she breathed, actually amazed by how soft the mattress was. It was like sinking into heaven for her. No bed compared to this one.

_And Bowser doesn't get to sleep here tonight.._

A frown began to tug at her lips, and she pulled the covers firmly up to her chin, curling up to a slight fetal position. The bed was so huge, and she was so small, barely more than a lump under the comforter. Sighing, Peach sharply turned over, the covers wrapping around her as she faced a slightly worn-in pillow. _He would probably just hog the covers anyway._

Even though the bed was so warm, Queen Peach was feeling cold.

* * *

"That didn't work very well," Junior commented, glancing to a growling Roy. Wendy's right eye was twitching, her nail file biting into her clenched palm.

"Shuddup, pip squeak. That was a lousy plan. Whoever thought of it was a real moron," Roy grumbled softly, turning back to his other siblings. Only he, Wendy, Junior, Lemmy, and Iggy remained in the hall, while the others had already went to bed. Wisely, his brothers and sisters did not remind Roy that it was _his_ plan.

"Like, who would have thought that King Dad wouldn't totally jump at the chance we gave him?"

"You just don't understand love, kids," Kamek's voice came from behind them, startling each of the Koopalings. Iggy and Lemmy scurried down the hall to their rooms, while the final three faced what they assumed would be imminent punishment. "He actually respects Peach."

"If he loves her, then shouldn't he, like, want to sleep by her?" Wendy asked as Kamek ushered them further down the hall to their respective rooms.

"Sometimes things take time. You can't rush these things by destroying a bed."

"So.. you _do_ know," Junior mumbled, feeling guilty that he played a part in convincing Ludwig to use his fire breath.

"Yes. So does he, so don't think you're getting off lightly just yet," Kamek's eyes twinkled behind his glasses while the children paled, their limbs stiffening. As they were all but pushed into their rooms, Kamek shook his head, taking out a silver flask when his task was completed. Tipping it back, he let the liquid instantly warm the back of his throat. On the way back to his own sleeping quarters, the magikoopa glanced into the room that suffered fire damage, shaking his head slightly. Inside, King Bowser himself was lying on his stomach next to the charred remains of Peach's bed, snoring rather loudly. It was true that koopas could easily sleep on rocks, so Kamek decided that stone floors weren't much different.

Shaking his head again, the magikoopa walked further down the hall, taking another swig of the silver flask. Tomorrow would be just as action-packed as the coronation, that was for sure. The Koopalings would feel their father's wrath for being pyromaniacs in Peach's room, which _might_ stifle their mischief for a little while and give everyone an easier time.

And Kamek would get to inform Bowser and Peach that Princess Daisy had requested their presence in a pairs tennis match.

* * *

**A/N: I know I cut it short, but that's what I get for rushing through everything. It's 2 AM, and I completely lost the feel I had at the beginning of this chapter. I wasn't enjoying it, so I think that was beginning to show in my typing. And since I promised tonight (technically last night, but I haven't slept yet!), I'm pushing this chapter out.**

**Next time, though, it's Bowser and Peach verses Daisy and Luigi. Oh, and Mario and Bowser have a little fight? Just who's side is Peach on?**

**Look forward to it, but that chapter _will_ be fun to write!**


	5. Archenemies are forever

A/N: I know, I know. This story hasn't been updated in a LONG time. As in, over a year. I can make no promises for the future, but I hope this update makes a few of the past readers happy. Life happens; there are no justifiable excuses, but please accept my apologies instead.

Disclaimer: I only own Bowser on MySpace; in reality, all of these characters are owned by Nintendo.

* * *

"What were you kids _thinking_?!"

Junior found his toes very interesting at the moment, although the tone his father was using still made him cringe. All eight of the Koopalings were grouped together, each one of them filled with a guilty silence.

Well, except one.

"Chill out, Daddy. We were, like, just trying to help and junk!" Junior's gaze slanted in Wendy's direction, finding her pinning Bowser with her cutest _Daddy's Little Princess_ eyes. He had the urge to suddenly shake his head and wave his arms-- anything to divert this awful train wreck-- but found himself unable.

"_Help_?!" The king echoed, his roar bouncing through the corridors of the castle. "How does arson help in this situation?" Bowser's right eye twitched as Wendy again opened her mouth to speak, and he raised a hand to silence her instantly. He was grumpy this morning for the simple reason that he had watched his queen think someone was out to get her last night. There were no complaints with sleeping on the floor.. But..

He wanted Peach to sleep in _his_ bed with _him._ Not alone.

"What I would _really_ like to know is how Ludwig agreed to this!" he continued, stomping his foot angrily against the crimson rug that ran the length of his castle. The young one in question looked guilty, yet unperturbed.

"The others' reasoning was unselfish, Father, although their rash plan was full of blatant, impractical holes. I felt compelled to play a part because of my own yearning for quixotic behavior."

Everyone stared. Bowser, not wanting to let his son know his intelligence ranked beyond his own comprehension, merely scoffed. "No son of mine is going to be a quixot! You got that?"

"There's nothing wrong with being quixotic, Bowser," a sweet, melodic tone issued from behind the Koopa King, drawing crimson optics to the source. Peach stood in all her glory, looking much more refreshed and content than he. She had drawn a pink gown from her belongings, this one with sleeves one-fourth of an inch poofier than her previous dress, her sapphire brooch still affixed to her chest. Her hands were actually sans gloves for once, the white bandanna Junior gave her wrapped around her wrist like a cloth bracelet and the diamond ring settled neatly on the appropriate finger. Atop her mass of unruly, blonde hair sat her jeweled crown, Bowser's insignia grinning back at him.

_She's beautiful.._

"Good morning," Peach cheerfully issued, her ocean-blue hues sparkling in the corridor's lighting. It took Bowser a moment to shake his head, clearing away his thoughts, before he could muster a response.

"'Morning, love. And no son of mine is going to be a quix!"

".. You have the meaning mixed up with another word, Bowser." Still, the Koopa King waved it off, scoffing at his group of children.

"What do you say, huh?"

"We're sorry, Momma Peach.." they reluctantly chorused, a couple dragging their clawed feet against the velvet carpet lining only the center of the hall. The queen waved it off as all right, looking even more exuberant than usual. Wendy noticed this, and just had to remark.

"Momma Peach, why are you, like, acting so cheery and upbeat? It's, like, even more scarier than usual, ya'know?"

"Am I?" the blonde replied vaguely, her gaze distant, as if she were contemplating the possibility, but no wheels were turning in her head. She ended it with an exaggerated shrug, and then continued past the group, tossing over her shoulder, "I'll be in the kitchen, Bowser!"

The koopalings and their father shared quizzical looks, Junior's gaze dropping back to his toes. _I hope she's not mad at us, _he thought. A quick glance around the others proved they were thinking the same thing.

* * *

"_Do you ever wish for anything, Bowser? To the Star Spirits, I mean.."_

_It was dialogue from long ago, the princess seated in the Clown Copter beside the giant Koopa King, her ocean-blue hues trained upward, to the night sky. The stars there appeared to be diamonds strewn across velvet, each twinkling.. And every shooting star was a wish making its way to Star Hill. A middle-of-the-night kidnapping was not uncommon, even if Peach _did_ feel strange sitting in her pajamas, next to her captor. But, screaming was futile-- she knew that from long ago-- so, over the years, the two had fallen into nigh-comfortable conversing._

_Bowser scoffed at the inquiry, one hand holding the steering wheel of the copter en-route, even though she knew it was on auto-pilot. "Wishes don't come true. They're only for stupid brats."_

"_But we have restored Star Road over the years, and even _seen_ the Star Spirits! You stole their Star Rod and gained invincibility!" she protested._

_This time, clawed fingers dug into the leather of the steering wheel, his eyes narrowing slightly at the memory of a destroyed plot. "Yeah, I know they're there. The idiots just won't grant my wishes. I wish to defeat Mario, and he destroys my castle. I wish to beat that green 'stache, and Mario still destroys my castle. I wish to keep you by my side, and they still take you away!"_

"_Oh.."_

"_See? They don't come true. What? Have yours ever been granted?"_

_His gaze slanted to the pink-clad princess, and she looked down at her hands. On one finger was a diamond ring, which surprised her-- wasn't her ring the same hue of blue as her brooch? She didn't own any others.. And certainly none that were shaped like a koopa shell.._

"_Peach?"_

"_I.. I wished for Mario to win."_

_

* * *

_

A sigh escaped pink-painted lips as Queen Peach turned her hand this way and that, catching the overhead light's refraction from the diamonds on her ring. She had taken her place at the breakfast table, where the eight kids and Bowser would surely come to eat, but her mood was.. weird.

She couldn't shake the dream she had last night.

It was much more than a dream, though; it had been a memory. Only the ring had transcended the barriers of time, already latching onto the past and seeping through. The look of Bowser's face when she told him her wish had been heart-breaking back then, even though she barely cared for him as more than a nuisance.

He had looked betrayed.

Never in a million years would she think that she would marry Bowser, of all people! And, here she was, married and looking back guiltily on a past memory she had stuffed into the recesses of her mind. There was no need to feel bad; she did nothing wrong! It was perfectly natural to wish for Mario's success over her kidnapper's! But.. still.. The flash of hurt through his eyes, the way he broke part of the steering wheel with his enormous hands.. It had stayed with her, making her think that she had done something wrong by not rooting for _him._

Just then, Kamek peeked his head into the dining area, clearing his throat loudly to gain her attention. Peach jumped slightly, shoving her hands into her lap so it would not appear as if she were admiring the diamond ring adorning her finger.

"Your Majesty," he addressed her, bowing in a flourish of robes. Something about the way he moved made Peach think that he had a hang-over; his voice seemed softer than normal, and he seemed a little.. haggard around the edges.

"Yes, Kamek?" she inquired, twisting her torso around to peer at him from around the back of her large chair. The magikoopa stumbled slightly as he made his way toward her, casting a glance over his shoulder suspiciously. Informing Peach was easier than informing an irate koopa.

"Princess Daisy of Sarasaland has requested your presence in a doubles tennis match," he announced, leaning on his large wand as if it were a cane. "She sent for you to go today."

Peach blinked, unsure. "But.. Bowser wouldn't like it if I just left him behind.."

As if on-cue, the Koopa King himself marched into the kitchen, a thick eyebrow quirked. "Why would you leave me behind? Are you planning a revolt, Kamek?!" The last query was roared down at the magikoopa, whom began to clutch his head; loud noises with a hang-over made him feel as if his skull was going to split open. It was pounding!

_This is why I wanted Peach to tell him.._

"Never, your Evilness. I was just explaining that Princess Daisy has requested her Highness's presence at a doubles tennis match. That's all." He wanted desperately to flee the kitchen and curl up in a dark room, perhaps nursing his headache with another sip of his silver flask. However, he knew he would need to be excused or Bowser would have his head. "Now, I need to--"

"Doubles?" Bowser broke in, ignoring the elderly magikoopa. "So, we're playing tennis together?" He released a joyful _Bwahaha_ over the idea, turning a wide grin to his wife. Raising his arm back, he mock-swung at an imaginary tennis ball. "With you by my side, there's no way I could lose, my little turtledove!"

"Actually.." Peach broke-in slowly, her hands fidgeting restlessly in her lap. She knew that the invitation was probably the same as every week, which meant that _Mario_ was meant to be her partner. Did Daisy really not take that into consideration? She couldn't tell if this was some sort of scheme or an attempt to make Peach feel as if nothing had _really_ changed. Everything may be strange now, but she still had them as her friends.

"Yeah, Peachy?

Yet, Bowser looked so excited..

".. I know we will win, Bowser!"

* * *

She was in over her head, wasn't she?

Peach stood in the bathroom of Bowser's bedchambers, looking at herself in the massive mirror. It seemed to take up most of the wall, she noted, which was much more than enough for her. Her hands slowly fell back to her sides as she finished setting her blonde hair into a high ponytail, the ends naturally flipping out, but appearing more contained than usual.

She had dressed in the proper sports attire from her bags, although had yet to return to her prior room. By now, the charred mattress had been disposed of and a new one brought in, but.. She hadn't moved her belongings back into it just yet. That could wait until later, she supposed.

Right now, she had to worry about the tennis match.

As she sighed, there was a knock on the bathroom door. "Ready yet?" Bowser's impatient tone came from the other side, causing her to call out an _Almost!_ in return.

Sure, her clothing was in-place, her ring on her finger, and the bandana tied around her wrist as if it had always been a part of her outfit.. but..

How was everyone going to react if she brought Bowser? Not to mention, there would be an odd one out.

It made her feel guilty.

But, telling her new 'hubby' she was going alone made her feel just as bad. He probably wouldn't let her go otherwise, anyway, unless she pleaded.

When she realized she could hear him pacing outside the door, she took in a deep breath and then decided to open the door. Bowser grinned at the sight of her in shorts and a tank top, nodding his approval over her attire.

His look was unchanged, just like always.

"Sarasaland, right?" he asked, slipping an arm comfortably around Peach's shoulders. She stiffened slightly, still not used to such friendly contact, but nodded. As the two made their way down the corridors and to the Clown Copter, Bowser's gaze caught Kamek's. "You and Kammy watch the koopalings. Try _not_ to let them set anything else on fire. Understand?"

"Yes, sire.." Kamek murmured, trying not to sigh in front of His Maliciousness.

_Please, Star Spirits.._ Peach silently pleaded, trying to keep up her excited demeanor to mirror Bowser's. _Let this go well.._

The stars always granted her wishes.. Didn't they?

* * *

Apparently, the stars were not shining in her favor today.

Trying her best to smile bright, the royal noted Daisy and Luigi's raised eyebrows at the appearance of Bowser. Mario, on the other hand, seemed to be glaring.

How could she blame him? He was going to be the odd one out, and she knew it.

"Ready for tennis?" she nervously inquired to Daisy, while Bowser brought his racket from his case. His grin showed confidence, but mostly.. He was just gloating over being partners with Peach.

"I'm ready!" Daisy energetically responded, pumping her own racket into the air. Then, leaning in, she whispered conspiratorally, "I wasn't sure if you were bringing your hubby along. How's the married life?"

Peach flushed, her sapphire hues resting on the said 'hubby.' He had already taken his stance on one side of the net and was in the process of warming up by swinging at imaginary tennis balls. On the opposite side, she could see Mario and Luigi's mustaches moving in small whispers.

"It's.. not really different than anything else," Peach admitted, her shoulders rising in a small shrug.

"So you always slept in the same bed as Bowser, ruled Darkland, and were a step-mother of eight?"

"No!" Peach's eyes were wide, the word coming out louder than intended. The three males glanced her way while Daisy laughed, shaking her head. The blonde's face was scarlet, complementing her athletic attire's color, and she tried to pretend she wasn't being watched. Turning her back to them, she leaned in to add, "I haven't slept in the same bed as him, I was just crowned yesterday, and the koopalings don't treat me any different than usual."

"Oh?" Daisy's amusement suddenly turned into a smirk. "Then why are you wearing Junior's bandana around your wrist? And.. Star Spirits, is that.. A diamond-encrusted koopa shell on your ring?!" Now, the brunette was gripping Peach's left wrist, turning her hand to get better angles of the beautifully-crafted ring. Releasing a low whistle, she raised her eyebrows. "A little gaudy, but all Bowser, huh?"

From behind her, Luigi nervously cleared his throat. Both women cast a glance his way, and Daisy nodded, stepping back toward her side of the court. "Get ready, Peachy! You and your hubby are going down!"

"Don't hurt yourself, little girl," Bowser retorted, his lips also curved into a smirk. Luigi looked determined, but somehow, much meeker when placed beside Daisy. But, Peach supposed she appeared the same way right now.. She was too concerned over the day's events to focus much on the actual _game_ or the trash talk that went along with it.

"All right!" Daisy called out, expertly serving the ball. It went over the net and bounced once before Bowser powerfully sliced it back, right toward Luigi. Before the plumber even had a chance to react, Daisy was diving forward to slice it back, and this time, it was Peach whom rushed in for the return.

From a tall chair to the side, Mario watched, playing his role as the referee. Luigi had offered to switch places with him before the match, but he had refused. If he and Bowser were on opposite sides.. Well, they would have ended up ruining the match by making it all about them. Everything they did was always a rivalry. Even when Bowser did compete in sports with them, it always mattered the most when they were going head-to-head. It spurred the competition.

It also spurred their rivalry into something darker.

Mario wasn't in love with Peach; it wasn't heart-break he was experiencing. It was a sense of loss over the closing of a major chapter in his life. He would always have the rivalry-- the borderline hatred that came about whenever he and Bowser faced-off. But, he would never have the grand adventure. Bowser had no need to conquer the Mushroom Kingdom, and no need to seize any other. It had always just been Peach's kingdom that he wanted.

It had always just been Peach.

He knew the Koopa King took great pride in being evil. But, when it came down to it, he would easily bend over backwards for Peach to just smile over at him and mean it-- and bending with that shell was never an easy feat. To keep her around, to win her over, Mario knew he would concentrate on Darkland and the Mushroom Kingdom.

There was no longer a blonde-haired princess to save, no longer an epic journey to save all the worlds, no longer a quest to the center of the universe..

The Italian seethed to himself, sulking in his chair. He would get over it. The anger would soon leave him, and he would fall into a new routine.

"Oww!" Mario glanced down just in time to see Daisy's racket collide with Luigi's head; she hadn't been looking where she was going when she dove in for the ball. His little brother fell backward, and Mario climbed down from his post to see if he was all right. Peach was already ducking under the net to assess the damage, while Daisy fretted over him.

"And that's how it's done!" Bowser cheerfully proclaimed, swiping his racket through the air in victory, as if the whole accident had been planned. "Take out the players, and you win by default. My favorite kind of winning!"

Mario cast a glare over his shoulder at the oblivious koopa, while Peach and Daisy helped Luigi to his feet. He was dazed, but otherwise all right.. He just didn't feel like playing anymore.

"Fill in for him," Daisy instructed Mario, her tone leaving no room for argument. Oh, he wanted to protest. He wanted to insist it was a bad idea.. But, as Daisy assisted Luigi to the bench, and Peach returned to her rightful side by Bowser, Mario suddenly _wanted_ to play. He wanted to show up Bowser.

This was no longer a tennis match. This was a battle between good and evil.

"All right, get ready!" Daisy proclaimed once she was back on her side, the ball in-hand. She served it, Peach returned it, and then Mario darted in front of Daisy to slice it over the net. The ball hit Bowser square in the nose, and then bounced directly into the net.

"Owww! Owowowowow.. You irritating, irresponsible Italian!" Bowser held his nose with his free hand, his eyes watering from the spreading pain on his large snout. Peach stepped closer and leaned in to examine his nose up-close. Realizing her proximity, Bowser acted like it hurt more than it really did. "Will you kiss it and make it better, sugar muffin?"

_Where does he come up with these pet names?_ Peach wondered as she shook her head. "You're a big boy, Bowser. It'll be fine," she assured him, though reached out to give his nose a small pat. When she pulled away, she caught Daisy's mirth-filled gaze. Oh, she was never going to hear the end of this, was she?

"Whoops-a! So sorry, Bowsah," Mario apologized, trying not to sound as amused as he was. In all honesty, it had been an accident.. Although the way a smoldering flame scorched Bowser's crimson hues when he looked at Mario said he didn't believe it. The battle was really on.

"Let's try to keep the injuries to a minimum, okay?" Daisy said as Peach scooped the ball up to serve, nodding along with the sentiment. Maybe they could get through this.

"Sorry Daisy!" Mario apologized again, taking up his stance as Peach served. Daisy returned it this time, then Peach moved in for the slice. Mario returned it toward Peach, but this time Bowser cut his racket forward to whack the ball toward the plumber. Mario barely had time to throw his racket up and protect himself; the force hurt his arm.

Even though it didn't bounce before he hit it, the pairs didn't stop the set. Instead, Peach rushed forward to hit the fast ball to Daisy, whom hit it to Bowser. Again, Mario was assaulted by a powerful blow that knocked his arm back when he shielded with the racket. Bowser returned it this time, then Mario..

Then Bowser again.

Daisy and Peach both slowly relaxed from their stances, noticing that the men had seemingly forgotten about them. There was something hard in both of their gazes. It spoke of more than just a childhood rivalry; they were arch-enemies. There was underlying malice in each swing, anger seething behind the force of the ball. Each cracking _whack _was more satisfying than the last.

Peach realized for the first time that this wasn't just a game.

"Hey," she tried to break in, but neither so much as flinched. "It's just a game.."

"Men," Daisy scoffed, realizing they weren't listening. They were too focused on each other. "Next time, we're going to just have to invite Toadette.. Maybe Toad can come with her."

"But-a, Daisy.." Luigi started from the sidelines, looking dejected.

"Oh, all right. You can stay on my team. Peach can have Toadette."

Luigi looked satisfied, but Peach crinkled her nose. Toadette could barely hit the ball over the net, she was so much shorter than the humans. That's why Toad Town had its own tennis court, made especially for toads. Sometimes, goombas and koopas could join them, since they were closer to the same size.

"Bowser.. Stop it," Peach tried, turning her attention back to the game. Mario and Bowser were still going at it. By the looks of things, they were just hoping to hit one another with the tennis ball.

"Not right now, sweetie," Bowser replied, punctuating each word through gritted teeth. She almost expected him to finish it with _Daddy's busy right now._ It made her feel like a little kid, and she huffed, her palms planted on her hips.

"Getting-a tired yet, Bowsah?" Mario prompted, and Bowser could have sworn he was sneering from behind that magnificent 'stache.

"I'm just getting warmed up, you pesky plumber," he counted, his gaze narrowed.

This was how they liked it, Peach realized. They _liked_ fighting; it had become second-nature to them. Right now, they probably felt more alive than ever, pumped full of adrenaline.

"Men," she scoffed, in unison with Princess Daisy.

"Get ready!" Bowser yelled out the next time the ball was hit toward him. This time, he pulled out a low trick; he breathed fire through his racket when he went to hit the tennis ball. It ignited easily, turning into a literal fire ball returned right to the plumber. Mario hit it back as if nothing had changed, though he seemed.. more hyped up about this kind of game.

Peach gasped, and Daisy raised her eyebrows, moving to the sidelines. "Things are getting interesting, Peachy," she stated, almost as if she wished she had popcorn for the occasion. Peach, however, was not amused. Someone was going to get hurt.

"Bowser.. Bowser stop it! Put it out!"

"He started it!" Bowser childishly pointed out, not taking his red eyes away from the ball.

"Bowser, please." She tried being stern, tried talking sense into him.

"Whose side are ya on, _princess_?" he sneered, trying to use her former title in a mocking sense, even if it no longer applied.

"I'm not taking sides!"

The fireball continued to bounce between rackets as if she wasn't even talking.

"Then tell that loverboy lamebrain to quit first!"

She went silent, and the fireball only increased in speed, as if displaying Bowser's rising anger. In fact, it was probably a good representation; he was starting to slice the ball even harder the more he thought about it. His own _wife_ was siding with her ex. They were ex's, right? Bowser didn't know actually; he had always assumed that was why Mario came crashing through his castle to 'rescue' her time and time again. He would usually get a kiss on the cheek for it, too..

Oh, how he loathed that plumber.

"Bowser, please," she pleaded again, this time taking several steps toward him. "Someone is going to get hurt.." When she got close enough, she put her hand on his muscular arm, urging him with her eyes to stop this nonsense. They could be adults about it.. Couldn't they?

The touch caught him off-guard; he had thought she was over by the sidelines! Bowser turned slightly to look down at her, about to shout in her face about it being dangerous to be that close to the fire. However, in that split-second, Mario had returned the ball.

And Bowser wasn't ready to hit it.

The fireball collided right into Peach's distal arm; she never even saw it coming. There was an awful flash of white-hot pain that immediately made her feel sick to her stomach before the ball glanced off her flesh. Bowser and Peach both looked equally surprised by her cry and failed to notice that Mario had not rushed to returned the ball again. Instead, he merely dropped his racket, one gloved hand pressed against his mustached mouth.

Peach was making some unintelligible sound to convey her panic, and a quick glance at her wrist let Bowser know exactly what was wrong. The bandanna tied around her wrist had caught on fire-- and its flammability was ironic seeing as his castle was famous for its molten lava.

"Hold still," he barked out, his claws easily shredding through the fabric. He tossed it to the ground and stepped on it until the rim of fire was extinguished, leaving it crumpled and charred. Peach's arm was still out, and Daisy was rushing over with a water bottle to pour over it, Luigi hot on her heels.

"Let me see," Bowser ground out with as much concern as he could, trying to momentarily check his rage. Peach was staring at the bandanna on the ground, rather than her injured arm, but her eyes were filled with tears. Her arm actually didn't look bad; it was red, and small blistered lined where the bandanna had been tied, but it would heal. It could have been much, much worse, but it looked like the bandanna had gotten the blunt of the blow.

"Look at what you did!" Bowser shouted at Mario, waving Peach's arm forward while Daisy tried to pour the rest of her water bottle over it. Peach didn't really pay any attention, still staring at the bandanna.

_Junior gave that to me.. It made me feel like I was a part of their family.._

"What-a _I _did? Bowsah, _you_ set it-a on fire!"

_It used to belong to Bowser.. And now it's ruined.._

"You idiots! Mario, you shouldn't have played into his game. And, Bowser! Well.. I expected this kind of low trick from you, but still. You could listen to your own _wife_?" Daisy jabbed Bowser in the chest with the end of her water bottle, her gaze shifting between him and Mario.

"Are you-a okay, Princess? Err-- Queen?" Luigi's voice was soft, going under the yelling to be heard only by her.

_I just wanted to make sure they didn't get hurt.. I just wanted to stop them before it got out of hand.._

"Of course I listened to my _wife_! I didn't hurt her; he did!"

"She-a doesn't even want to be _your_ wife!" Mario countered, angry that he had played right into the scheme of things. He had played the game of good and evil, and he had crossed over into the part where the sides begin to blur. Peach was good-- and she had gotten hurt.

He had never felt so guilty before.

_I just wanted to play tennis with my friends. I don't want everything to change._

"Who cares? She _is_ my wife, and nothing is going to change that! You lost, plumber!"

_Everything is changing. _

"Um.. Guys.." Luigi started, leaning into Peach. Bowser just then realized her arm was shaking.

Peach was sobbing.

"Oh, Peachy.. Does it hurt that much?" Daisy inquired, examining her arm again. "I can go get more water."

"I'm.. f-fine.." Peach finally found her voice, looking down and sobbing. She hadn't mean to cry; it didn't really hurt that much. It was just the straw that broke the camel's back. She had been trying to make the best out of her situation, but nothing seemed to be going her way. Her and Bowser still didn't get along as well as a husband and wife should, she had to live in Darkland, her bed was destroyed, she couldn't have fun with her friends anymore, and now, she was being ignored for some stupid game, as if they had something to _prove. _

The bandanna-- the precious, precious bandanna-- was also ruined by them.

Her sobs got louder; no one had even seen the royal cry like that. The only time Bowser had ever witnessed it was on Vibe Island, when one of her PMS-ridden attacks happened to involve crying uncontrollably.

The longer he looked at her lost, hurt expression, the more his heart broke.

Slowly, he tore his gaze from the sight, focusing it on the guilty face of Mario. For a moment, there was a long silence on the court, punctuated only by the sound of Peach sobbing. When Bowser finally spoke, his voice was low, his pitch almost in an animalistic growl. A single clawed finger extended in a menacing accusation.

"You. Plumber. You're going to wish you were never born when I'm done with you."

* * *

A/N: Drop me a review? Maybe I'll get back into the swing of things; I actually know where I want this to go now.


	6. That menacing mustached man

Disclaimer: I still don't own Bowser, Peach, Mario, or any of these characters. I just own copies of their games.

A/N: Here's another update to prove I haven't given up. Hopefully, they'll all come this quickly, but I'm not making any promises. Between work and school, I can barely find the time to write.  
You can thank my fiancée for the last update; he was going through my account and noticed I hadn't updated it since 2007. He said something like, "Don't you think you slacked off enough?" I thought about it, and realized he was right. Since then, I've been playing a lot of Mario games to get the feel for it again.

I'd like to take a chance to thank everyone for their support and reviews-- even when I picked this back up out of nowhere. Literally a few hours after I posted the update, I had three or four reviews from people I had remembered from when I was more active. It really touched me that you would still be reading this. Thank you-- really.

* * *

Hardened crimson hues glared with a fiery passion, clashing with a cold blue. Usually, when it came to eye color, blue was his favorite. But, he liked it when that blue was soft, bright, full of life.. It was best when it reminded him of water, like a crystal-clear stream, the sun reflecting off the gentle ripples in a bright, pure white. Yes, that's what he thought of when he looked into her eyes-- a beautiful scene in nature he would never admit he liked. It wasn't because it was a scene from her kingdom; oh, no, he usually preferred the dank and dark to the bright and cheerful.

But when he pictured it, he pictured her by his side, staring up at him with those sparkling eyes and a carefree smile.

His gaze narrowed; he wasn't looking into Peach's beautiful baby blues right now. No, the gaze he held with a feverish intensity was as cold and hard as an iceberg with a sharpened point. And, the eyes he cherished so much were becoming bloodshot with salty tears, glassy and swimming as if the stream had turned crystalline.

They had faced off like this many times before, more than he had ever dared to keep track of, in fact. His muscles had always been taunt, pulled by a sick rage that usually stemmed just because _he _dared try to take her away from him. Sometimes, they glared at each other with the rubble of his castle surrounding them, chunks of stone crunching beneath his feet as he advanced. But, he wasn't angry about the castle. The plumber always seemed to break apart his fortresses and castles-- even the ones he had constructed for his children. He had slowly learned that there would always be another castle.

But there would never be another woman like _her_.

Castle rubble, iron bridges, grassy fields, barren plains, BeanBean kingdom, the Mushroom Kingdom castle, the go-kart track, the Underwhere, _outer space_.. Yes, they had faced off in just about every situation. The outcome was usually the same in the end; the plumber won and the Mushroom Kingdom celebrated the return of their loving and gentle princess from the hands of a monster.

Things were different now. Couldn't that menacing mustached man realize that?

The moment stretched, and it seemed like the bystanders-- save the sobbing one-- were holding their breaths. Finally, the Koopa King stomped forward, the ground shaking from the angry force of all his weight crashing down on that limb. There was another step, and then he was at the net, still glaring down at the much smaller male.

His mouth was moving from under that mustache, but Bowser couldn't hear it. He could only hear her sobs.

With a single slash of his claws, the tennis net immediately fell from its posts, nearly torn completely in-half. He had to shred something, or else he would be shredding a mustache. His actions came with murmuring from behind him, but it all sounded so far away to him, so insignificant. The sounds were muted, as if he were underwater, drowned by her tears. His fury spurred him on, the blood pounding in his head, throbbing like a pulsating vein.

He reared back his head, and a giant stream of fire shot out right toward his arch-nemesis. The little man leapt to the side, but Bowser was quick to anticipate such a predictable move and turned his head to follow him. He was his own weapon, his own flamethrower. His firebreath had gotten him into this mess-- he felt guilt pitting underneath all the hatred he had for Mario-- but maybe he could use it to repent. He could use it to avenge her.

It wouldn't make her stop crying, but it would make _him_ feel better.

Mario took a giant leap back, landing on both his hands to perform a back-flip. Now wasn't the time to pull out moves to impress anyone, but they just came naturally, like a second nature. He wasn't shouting anymore because Bowser obviously wasn't paying attention to his apologies-- even if they were directed at her. But, he had nothing to apologize to Bowser for; there was no reason for _him_ to be this upset.

If anything, it should be Peach coming after him. He would have gladly accepted punishment from her frying pan, or even a golf club. Heck, if she wanted to beat him over the head with the edge of her tennis racket, he would let her. It would ease his guilt over letting her get hurt just because Bowser and he made the game all about them, just as he knew they would.

But, she would never do that. She would never hurt her friends.

His stomach tightened painfully, the coil of guilt wringing him, becoming as solid as iron in his belly. Bowser's fire ceased momentarily, giving Mario a brief moment to regain his footing. Absently, he noted that the rubber soles of his tennis shoes were becoming melted from the raging inferno. He needed to be more careful.

Bowser started his fire up again, this time charging at the plumber. Mario rapidly backed up toward the sidelines, jumping every now and then to try and put distance between him and the flame. Usually, Bowser would have tried another tactic by now, some other way of attacking instead of his fire; perhaps a ground-pound or his claws. When the Koopa King cranked up the heat, trying harder than ever, the fire singed Mario's mustache as he leapt away.

He suddenly realized what Bowser was doing. He was trying to get payback by burning Mario, since he blamed him for burning Peach.

The guilt weighed him down, and he was unable to resist flicking his gaze toward the sobbing woman. She was crouched now, he noticed, some charred scrap of cloth laid out carefully in her lap. Her tear-filled gaze raised a fraction, and he saw the swimming pain that lurked there, something that went beyond just a physical ache. It held him in place, chained him to the spot.

The iceberg was melting.

However, the next thing Mario knew, his opponent had taken advantage of his distraction. The ivory rim of Bowser's spinning, spiked shell rammed hard right into his head, sending him spiraling through the air. When he collided with the tennis court, he skidded along it, his eyes clenching painfully closed as he experienced something similar to 'road rash.'

Peach watched on through a thin film of tears, her naked fingers smoothing over the ruined bandanna on her lap. Her mouth had opened in a sobbing gasp when Mario had been rammed into, and now, Bowser was out of his shell and advancing, ever so slowly. It was as if he _wanted_ Mario to get back on his feet and continue the fight. He wanted the resistance just as much as he wanted the vengeance.

"The more things change, the more they stay the same," she heard Daisy comment to Luigi, not as concerned as the man in green. She had confidence that Mario was tougher than that, Peach realized.

_Things are changing, all right.._

It was stupid to cry this much, she tried to tell herself. The bandanna may have meant more to her than she would ever want to admit, but it was much more than that. She just wanted Bowser to listen to her, she just wanted to be with her friends like everything was the same..

She just wanted her old, simple life back.

She was just a stupid little girl right now-- no where _near_ fit to be a queen, much less rule over _two_ kingdoms. What did she know about the needs of koopas, goombas, and dry bones?

_He'll teach you,_ a little voice in her head whispered, and she closed her eyes.

"I know," she whispered aloud, unaware that she was nearly talking to herself. This was silly-- she really needed to calm down.

_Star Spirits.. I wish .._

"Bowser.." she whispered, his name sounding like a plea on her lips. He immediately swallowed the fire that was burning the back of his throat, just as Mario finally got his bearings back to stand up and reassume his offensive stance. As soon as his gaze fell on her, the fiery rage smoldered out, extinguished like a small candle in a monsoon. Peach was sitting on her knees on the court, clutching the charred bandanna like a security blanket, while her gorgeous, golden locks flowed wildly over her shoulders, clinging to her dampened cheeks as if it was her curtain from the world. She looked so small and fragile.

_I wish.._

"Please, Bowser.."

He turned his back on Mario and came back to her side, kneeling to smooth her wayward hair from her face with calloused thumbs. She was looking up into his eyes, and somewhere beyond all of the swimming tears clouding those beautiful, blue hues, he could picture the gentle stream.

_I wish to go home.._

"I'm sorry," Bowser finally whispered, his voice hoarse from his constricted throat. "Let's go home."

A ghost of a smile curved her painted lips. "Okay."

* * *

_How many times had she cried?_

"_Argh, stop that! It's so annoying!"_

_Young Prince Bowser's crimson optics glared at the offending Star Child. Well, Star Baby was probably more appropriate; the young girl couldn't even speak yet! _

_Fat tears continued to roll down chubby cheeks, the baby's face turning red from crying. She was giving him such a heart-breaking, horrible look. "I said stop! Stop looking at me like that!" Prince Bowser barked, his index claw extended in front of him as if he was warding off evil. _

"_Your Maliciousness.." Kamek began, wishing to the Star Spirits that he would not have to change Princess Peach's diaper. "I do believe that shouting is making her worse."_

"_Quiet! I know that, so don't question me!"_

_Peach wailed harder, her chubby limbs flailing about. _

"_But, sire.."_

"_Just fly the Koopa Cruiser!" Prince Bowser ordered, and with a flourish of a bow, Kamek retreated to pilot the ship, murmuring his affirmation._

"_Sheesh.." Prince Bowser mumbled, sitting down beside the crying infant. Maybe it wasn't such a great idea to kidnap her, but how else was he supposed to take over the Mushroom Kingdom? He had been plotting this for _hours_! And, no, it wasn't because he was lonely and wanted a playmate. No, that wasn't it at all._

_If only she'd stop crying.._

"_..I have lots of toys," he mumbled beneath his breath, trying to appease her. "I have candy, too. The good, unhealthy stuff, where everything's artificial, even the flavor!"_

_Still, she cried just as hard. He stared for a moment, looking at her short blonde hair, over-sized crown, and sickeningly-pink attire. Her face was flushed, her eyelashes long, and for a brief moment, he wondered what she would look like all grown up. Would the crown ever fit her right? Would she grow her hair out? Would she still cry this much?_

_Would she still remember this?_

"_Probably not," he mumbled aloud to himself-- a lonely habit of his. In all honesty, he had glimpsed her and the Mario brothers playing together one time.. and became jealous. He wanted that. He wanted the companionship, the carefree way they laughed over things that weren't even funny. His territory was gloom and doom, but he envied their happiness, their simple contentment._

_He had hoped that taking her would give him a playmate. He had hoped she would do that stupid giggle for him that she did for those two lamebrains._

_Instead, he only got her wailing sobs._

"_Stop it, will ya?" His command came off more harshly than intended, and she looked at him with those heartbreaking eyes. Their gazes clashed like fire and water, and his rage quickly evaporated into nothing but mere steam._

"_Don't look at me like that.." he muttered under his breath, bowing his head to avoid her gaze. Was he really so horrible? Couldn't she play with him a little? There wasn't anyone else his age, and he would never _ever_ play with those Mario brothers. They stole his green donkey!_

_Something suddenly touched his crimson ponytail, then painfully jerked on it. Prince Bowser yelped, yanking his head away from the weak hold of Peach's stubby fingers. Tears of pain pricked the corners of his eyes, but he willed them away. "What was that for?" he demanded, stomping his foot as he massaged his tender scalp. However, his anger once again faded; he realized she was no longer crying._

_She was giggling._

_

* * *

_

With a gasp, Bowser shot up in his seat, his head wildly jerking about. In front of him was an ominously barren wasteland-- his home. A quick glance behind him confirmed that he could still see a few rays of sunlight. They were leaving Sarasaland, and he had managed to drift asleep at the wheel; thank the Star Spirits for auto-pilot! It made sense.. He hadn't exactly slept well the night before. How could he when Peach was alone in his bed? He wanted so desperately to be beside her when she felt the extravagant, silk sheets and soft-as-a-cloud mattress.

He had bought it with her in mind, after all.

"Sleep well?" A soft, melodic tone floated over to him, and he glanced down to see Peach smiling lightly at him. She had still been crying a little when he hefted her into the Clown Copter, tossing a "This isn't over, plumber!" over his shoulder. Her eyes still looked red and puffy, pink splotches faintly visible on her ivory skin. There was a faint shadow of black rimming her eyes from where her make-up had been smeared to the Underwhere and back, as well.

"Of course," he answered her easily, putting on an air of confidence. They hadn't spoken about what had happened; in fact, this was the first time she had spoken since agreeing to go home. Her faded smile still didn't live up to what he knew she was capable of-- lighting up a room with just a curve of her lips.

It was strange, he mused as he studied her. She was gazing out the orange rim of the copter, her hands folded neatly in her lap, fingers absently stroking the remnants of the bandanna. One of his earliest memories of her was of her crying. Back then, he had wanted nothing more than to make her stop wailing; it had hurt his head. But, once she had started giggling, it hadn't been so bad-- even if she was laughing at his pain. She was his first playmate, even though she didn't actually play with him. She just kept him company, staring at him with wide, innocent eyes as she sucked on her pacifier. He didn't dare try to snatch it away for fear that she would start wailing again.

Peach had been too young to color with him, too little to play catch, and too wobbly to do anything more than crawl short distances. She had been rescued by the Mario brothers riding on their green 'donkeys', but that hadn't stopped him from kidnapping her again. She hadn't cried as much the next time, or even the time after that. But, by the fifth or sixth time, as soon as she stopped Mario, she had said her first word.

_Help._

Bowser clutched the Clown Copter's steering wheel tighter, grinding his teeth at the memory. How many times had he heard that accursed word throughout the years? It had taken her countless kidnappings to finally stop shouting it in his ear, as well as to finally stop crying. He hated when she cried.

"Is something wrong?" Peach queried softly from his side, and he forced a toothy grin, not daring to look at her.

"Nothing at all," he replied. Then, dramatically, he placed a clawed hand over his belly. "I just think I may have eaten something bad. Maybe they went a little heavy on the LavaLava sauce this time."

"Oh. Well, we're almost back at the castle," she stated, oblivious to the workings of his mind. She probably thought he was really that simple.

Bowser's smile faded as soon as Peach looked away. He could still hear his younger self's shock echoing in his mind.

_Help? But you're mine!_

_Help! Help!_

She had cried, wailing the word as if he were a monster. He had gotten angrier and angrier the more she cried, and it had only made things worse. That time, he had barely felt the egg slamming into his face, even though it sent him backwards onto his shell. He had barely felt the ground-pound, too.

_Help! Help! Help!_

It was like a broken record, fading only when the little princess was leaving. He had closed his eyes, surrounded by egg shells and the rubble of his castle walls.

He didn't kidnap her the next week, or even the next month. In fact, the next time he kidnapped Princess Peach, she was sixteen.

"We're here," Peach broke into his thoughts again, and he realized she was probably just speaking to fill his own unnatural silence. Pushing memories from his thick skull, the Koopa King released a short, boisterous laugh.

"Let's just hope the koopalings didn't burn the place down while we were gone!"

By the time Peach had stepped down from the Clown Copter, her face had returned to normal. Sure, she didn't have on any more make-up, but other than that, no one could tell she had been sobbing. "How's your stomach, Bowser?" she asked as she stepped beside him in the corridor. It seemed like everything was back to normal.

"Huh? Oh-- that! Uh, it's much better now, Peachy," he nervously replied, having forgotten about his excuse.

"That's good." Her smile was carefully back in-place, although she had to admit, she _was_ feeling much better. She had tried to block out the small pain in her arm whenever her hair brushed over it, trying to forget all that transpired on the tennis court.

Bowser felt that the smile was forced. He wanted to make everything up to her; he had never meant for her to cry. Playing tennis was supposed to be fun-- he had _always_ wanted her to be on his team! It was a dream come true to be playing alongside her, showing her off as his wife. In his mind, they would have had perfect coordination, as if they were on a level beyond the need for petty words.

But that plumber-- that persistent, pesky plumber!-- dashed his fantasy just by showing his ugly 'stache. He would pay, in due time.

"Mama Peach! You're back! Will you play tennis with us?" Junior seemed to pop out of nowhere as he rounded a corner into the corridor, his siblings hot on his heels. Kamek and Kammy were hurrying behind them, looking exhausted from the hours spent trying to contain them.

"We're done playing tennis today, pipsqueaks," Bowser gruffly informed them, hoping the mention of the sport wouldn't upset Peach again. He nervously slanted a glance her way, but she seemed to be fine, already bending down to the koopalings' levels.

"We might could play--" Peach was cut-off by Junior's gasp. When she followed his gaze, she realized he was looking at the charred bandanna clasped in her hand. "Oh, Juinor, I--"

"No, I get it," he said in a rush, shaking his head. His eyes were turning glassy, still locked onto the bandanna. When his siblings realized what he was looking at, their collective gasps chorused behind him. "We burned your bed, so you were getting even."

"No, it's not like--"

"Don't lie!" Junior suddenly shouted, ashamed that he was about to cry. Bowser had always told him that crying was for wussies, and he wasn't about to raise a wussy. So, he had always tried to keep his tears in, even when his siblings mocked or bullied him. But, this betrayal-- from Mama Peach of all people!-- hurt worse than any of that.

His watery, crimson gaze glared up at her for a moment, before he turned tail and ran down the corridor, shouting something strained that sounded like, "How could you?"

"No, it's not like.." Peach trailed off, staring into the accusing eyes of his siblings. They seemed a little baffled, but at the same time.. Disappointed? Was that the emotion there? Wendy shook her head and turned around, following Junior out of the corridor. The rest followed suit.

"Kids! It wasn't like that. Come back here and listen!" Bowser shouted, but it fell on deaf ears this time. "I swear, I'm going to feed you to the piranha plants if you don't get your butts back here!" But, it was too late; they were gone.

Kamek and Kammy nervously exchanged glances. "If you'll excuse us, Your Evilness, we should probably make sure the kids don't get into any trouble." Bowser merely waved a dismissive hand at the two, his focus on Peach's crushed expression.

"Peach.. They should have listened.."

The blonde's lips curved in a wry smile that didn't quite match her gaze. "No. That would have been the right thing to do. But, everyone here loves being bad, don't they?"

"Still--"

"I don't blame him, Bowser. It does seem like I did it in revenge, doesn't it? He's hurt, so he doesn't want to listen." Oh, she understood all-too-well. She hadn't been able to protect the bandanna. Bowser had worn it as a child, and then passed it down to his most precious son.

And now, it was ruined.

"Peachy--"

"I'm going to change," she said dismissively, starting off down the hallway. Bowser could only stare at her retreating back, blinking when something fluttered to the carpet. When she turned the corner, Bowser went over to pick up whatever she had dropped, scowling when he figured out what it was.

He was going to have to talk to those rotten kids of his.

* * *

"That was real smooth. And mature. What do you have to say for yourself?"

Princess Daisy stood with her hands on her hips, staring at Mario as he finished putting up all the rackets. Luigi was standing nearby, glancing between the two. After Mario had been deemed all right, Daisy had angrily started tearing into him.. Although, he had remained eerily quiet.

"Sorry. I shouldn't have-a gotten into it," he finally murmured, stashing the rackets away in a locker. Daisy sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose with her index finger and thumb.

"Obviously. Bowser was ready to pulverize you. And Peach was crying."

"I was-a there, Daisy."

The brunette lapsed into silence at Mario's curt tone, and Luigi winced. This wasn't going very well. His older brother's pride had been hurt, but he was also probably feeling very guilty over what happened with Peach. It was uncharacteristic for Mario to be this upset over a confrontation with the Koopa King, though.. Unless there was really something else bothering him.

"Are you-a sure you're okay, bro?" Luigi voiced his mindset, blinking as Mario nodded like a bobblehead.

"Yeah-a, just _peachy._"

Mario sighed; he didn't mean to come off as a grouch. He forced his tone to soften, turning toward Daisy. "Really, Daisy. I'm-a sorry about all this. Next time, I won't let-a Bowser get to me. Promise."

Daisy's gaze softened, and she finally sighed, her hands falling from her hips. "It's okay. I know it's hard. We'll all have to get used to it."

"Mmhmm," Mario replied, while Luigi sagely nodded. For a moment, they awkwardly stood, as if mulling over how different everything was. Normally, they would still be playing, both teams getting worked up in friendly competition. Afterward, Peach would congratulate everyone on a game well-played, and then usually invite them over to the Mushroom Kingdom for refreshments. Sometimes, Daisy took up the role as hostess, but Peach's designation as the beautiful ray of sunshine in the group was always the same. Without it, they were just.. left with clouds-- and stoic clouds, at that.

"We should-a get going, Daisy," Luigi piped up, breaking the uneasy silence. The brunette princess nodded, drawing him in for an embrace.

"Okay. You two take care! I'll send for you again soon."

Waving their goodbyes, the Mario brothers headed for the warp pipe home. Mario leaped inside the abyss of the correct one, the familiar feeling of weightlessness enveloping him like a long-awaited lover's embrace. He could feel himself turning the right way inside the pipe, so that his head would pop out first on the other end; this source of travel as natural to him as his magnificent 'stache.

He and Luigi both popped out of the red pipe in front of their house, both landing on their feet with practiced ease. Together in silence, they ascended the porch steps and went inside their humble house, each going his separate way. Luigi went to shower and change, while Mario collapsed into a soft armchair, leaning back with the bill of his trademark cap over his eyes.

What was he going to do now?

He knew what had sent him into the fierce competition in the first place.. He had been so willing to cling to any sense of adventure, any sense of _normalcy_, that he had absorbed himself in the challenge of going head-to-head with Bowser. It was exciting-- it got his adrenaline pumping like nothing else in the Mushroom World! He was hooked, utterly hooked, and always left craving excitement when peaceful days befell the kingdom.

Ever since he was an infant, adventure was all he knew. It was too late to go back now.

But, if he wasn't getting requests from Toad or Toadsworth to go save Princess Peach, what else was he supposed to do? Usually, all his adventures centered around her. Even saving all the worlds started out with the Chaos Heart because Bowser and Peach were married by Count Bleck.

If only he had never gone on that adventure-- then she would have never been bound to the Koopa King. Then, Bowser would still have to kidnap her, and he would still get to travel throughout the worlds, battling koopas and goombas to destroy castles until he found the right one.

_Our princess is in another castle._

The words stayed with him during that first, exciting adventure. Peach had been barely sixteen then, and he a few years older. Sure, he had saved Pauline from Donkey Kong back when he lived in Brooklyn, but coming to the Mushroom Kingdom-- again-- had made him remember the adventures he had as a mere child. After that, he never looked back, and never tried to go back. This was his calling, his _life._

"Bro? The shower is-a all yours!"

Mario tilted his head back, glancing over at Luigi's head of dripping hair poking outside of their bedroom door. "Okey dokey!" he called out, straightening his cap as he stood to cross the room. About halfway there, he suddenly stopped, however, his dark blue eyes wide. He knew what he had to do! He knew how to have his life back-- how to have his _adventure_ back!

He had to make Peach beg him to rescue her.

He had to make her look at Bowser and scream _help_.

* * *

"Like, I so can't _believe_ Mama Peach would do that." Wendy was pacing in Junior's bedroom, Roy, Morton, and Ludwig piled on his bed. Poor Junior was left to take the floor, and found himself staring hard at the carpet. The others had decided to leave him alone-- and act as a distraction for Kamek and Kammy.

"It does seem a tad far-fetched," Ludwig assented with a nod, his arms crossed. The others glanced at him with blank stares.

"Who's fetchin' what?" Roy asked, although Ludwig didn't dignify it with a response.

"She was mad. She doesn't want to be Mama Peach," Junior piped up softly, playing with his claws. That bandanna had meant the world to him, so he had given it to her so she would feel welcome in the family. He wanted her to know that she belonged there, that she was really his Mama Peach. At one point, he had been convinced that she was his mother, and it had pained and confused him when she had continuously tried to escape. But, when he realized she wasn't really his mom, it all made sense.

He understood why his father had lied-- Bowser was in love with Peach. He had wished that she was really the mother of his children. Bowser had hoped that he could force them into being a happy family, even if they were only pretending. When Junior realized it, he had vowed that he would fight the Mario brothers again-- and he had even kidnapped Peach a time or two himself. He loved her, too; she was still his mother.

She was serene, forgiving, nurturing, kind.. Peach was perfect, and everything he had ever wanted in a mother.

"How could she, though?" he voiced, his siblings lapsing into silence again.

"Um, like, maybe that's how she, like, punishes us or something?" Windy tried, still pacing. Her clunky heels didn't gracefully click like Peach's; instead, it sounded like she was stomping around in wooden clogs.

"You kids are real stupid sometimes." Each koopalings turned to face the doorway as a boisterous baritone rumble broke into their conversation, Bowser's humorless expression feeding the atmosphere.

"King Dad," the siblings chorused, each wondering if he was going to _really_ try to feed them to the piranha plants.

"What makes you think that perfect woman would stoop to your level? She's never stooped to mine!"

There was a moment of silence where they considered that point, as if they were surprised Bowser thought of it. When a slow grin spread across his large lips, it was obvious he was just as surprised it worked.

"But.. How's else would it get all burned up if it whaddn't outta revenge?" Roy asked, his eyebrows raised over his sunglasses. The others nodded their assent, each looking over at Bowser. Ludwig, however, had a claw poised at his chin, mulling over a possible revelation.

"Ah.. So, perhaps just as we ignited her bed, someone else could have ignited the bandanna?"

"Bingo." Bowser held out what Peach had dropped-- the charred bandanna. "She got hit with a fireball because that perception-less plumber wasn't paying attention. It burned her arm, but I think she was only crying over the bandanna being ruined." His voice was tight; it was obvious he wanted to rip into Mario just from thinking back to everything.

"She was crying? But it wasn't _her_ fault.." He had made her feel like it was, though. Junior felt guilt pitting in his stomach, his gaze on his old bandanna. Slowly, he reached out and took it from Bowser. "I did something wrong."

"Normally, I would be thrilled. But, now, you kids need to work on your apologies. Do it later, after you stewed on it for a while. Right now, Peach needs to be left alone."

"Tell Mama Peach I'm sorry. I'll tell her myself when she's feeling better," Junior murmured, crumpling up the bandanna. Wendy was silent for once, her gaze locked onto the charred cloth. The fashion diva she wanted to be was kicking into overdrive, a small grin spreading on her overly-painted lips.

"Tell her I'm, like, sorry too," she finally said. "And I soooo promise I'll, like, make it up to her!"

* * *

_Silk sheets, soft-as-a-cloud mattress, feather-soft pillows… a married couple's bed. That's what this is._

Peach stretched out, turning diagonally on the mattress to try and take up the whole expanse-- only to find that it was impossible. This mattress gave plenty of room for the bulky koopa to lay beside her. In fact, two bulky koopas could share this bed comfortably.

That thought had Peach sitting straight up, her puffy eyes going wide.

_That's right.. Eight kids, giant mattress.. He was married before, wasn't he? _

Why hadn't she asked him about it beforehand? The blonde could only groan, falling back amongst the pillows with her face buried in her hands. He was her husband now, and she thought she knew so much about him, when she really knew so little. It seemed like this would have come up in conversation before!

_Were the kids conceived in this very bed? _

Peach shuddered, her face flushing. She was only thinking of this now because she had assumed he picked the mattress out for her. But, now, that idea seemed very silly-- of _course_ he'd have it left over from the mother of his children. That wasn't disappointment welling up in Peach's stomach, either. No, no, that was just hunger pangs.

"Peachy?"

Her bare hands fell from her face, sapphire hues focusing on the figure in the doorway. Bowser was smiling, hoping to uplift her spirits, since he was tired of everything seeming to fall apart. Hadn't she seemed so happy during the coronation ceremony last night? That was before her bed was burnt, before the tennis match. It seemed like a year had passed since that happy moment.

"Yes?" she whispered, her face flushing when she realized her voice sounded so small. It was an accurate representation of how she felt sitting in Bowser's bed.

"Are you okay?" When was the last time he had acted so gentle? Well, whenever she was concerned and not screaming, he was always this way, Peach supposed. It was especially true when she cried-- as long as she wasn't crying for help.

"Yes, Bowser. I'm fine. Sorry about earlier; I didn't mean to fall apart." She cringed as soon as the words left her mouth. Why should she feel sorry for that-- it was all his fault!

"Don't worry about it. It's not like I've never seen you cry." Bowser shifted awkwardly, recalling his aforementioned dream. "I talked to the kids. Junior realized it wasn't your fault and wanted to tell you he was sorry."

Peach raised an eyebrow. "So why didn't he?"

"I told him you needed to be left alone," Bowser replied, shrugging nonchalantly. He slowly entered the room, shutting the massive door behind him.

A ghost of a smile haunted Peach's lips. "Oh, I'm sure there were no other motives there," she teased.

"Well, maybe I wanted some alone time with my wife. We had a rough day!" He slowly sank onto the mattress, and Peach drew her knees closer to her chest, although he had plenty of room.

"_I _had a rough day," she amended, and Bowser nodded, turning slightly to face her. The sight of her on his bed was breath-taking, to say the least. She had adorned her pink pajamas with little hot-pink hearts all over them, and her hair was still damp from the shower. There wasn't a crown on top of her head, but she still wore her wedding ring, and that made him smile. No law decided that she wear it, but she did. In all fairness, she probably didn't give it much thought, but it meant everything to him.

"Is there something on my face?" Peach asked, and Bowser realized he had been staring a little too long.

"Just beauty," he smoothly replied, making her laugh. His corny lines always got her, sometimes even touching her.

"No, really. What were you thinking about?" Peach prompted. Bowser considered lying, but actually decided to just be blunt.

"You're wearing my ring, even though you don't _have_ to. That's all."

Peach blinked, glancing down at her hand. The koopa shell encrusted in diamonds stared back at her, both gaudy and beautiful. It had never occurred to her to take it off-- in fact, she actually liked it. It was a sweet gesture. "Well, we _are_ married," she pointed out, avoiding getting further into it.

"It's still like a dream come true," Bowser grinned, and Peach rolled her eyes.

"Yes, waking up to find myself in a wedding gown was _always_ my dream." She could still recall it.. Bowser had been standing across from her in a white tux, waving over at his adoring minions. All of them had been cheering wildly, some even screaming out _Hail Princess Peach!_ She had never been more confused.

_Do you take Peach to be your lawfully wedded wife 'til your games be over?_

She had looked desperately from Count Bleck to Bowser, wondering if it was all, in fact, a dream. She couldn't even remember how she had gotten there!

Bowser had just laughed. _Will I marry Peach? Are you kidding me? The answer's YESSSSSSSS!_

Her eyes had widened; she had never expected Bowser to actually go along with it so willingly! Although, she should have expected he would want to marry her, no matter what the circumstances. Back then, she had thought it was all a plot cooked up by Bowser, but he had turned out to be a pawn, just like her.

_Peach.. Noble princess, pure of heart.._ _Do you take Bowser to be your lawfully wedded husband 'til your games be over?_

With narrowed eyes, Peach had demanded they explain what was going on; she was so confused! A wedding to Bowser? As if that would happen! But, Bleck had just laughed and proclaimed it was obviously her wedding.

She had been taken aback, as if it hadn't clicked until that moment. _But.. Why in the WORLD am I marrying Bowser?_

Bowser had laughed again, explaining that Bleck had come up with the plan, and he wasn't about to complain.

_Just relax! We'll get married, we'll be in love, it'll be awesome! Finally!_

"I guess it wasn't the wedding of your dreams, but I wasn't complaining." Bowser broke into her thoughts, as if he had been reliving it himself. "If you want another wedding, your hubby would be more than happy to set one up for you!"

Peach couldn't help but smile as she looked at his grinning face. He was still so smug, so content with it. He probably still believed they would be in love, and it would be awesome.

"I don't need another wedding. The coronations were enough formalities for me!" Peach assured him, content that she wouldn't have to wear another coronation gown again.

The two fell into silence again, and Peach's thoughts drifted back to their wedding. She could remember saying the dress was awful and demanding to go back to her castle.. Only to be zapped by Nastasia for being rude. She had been brainwashed into saying 'I do', which released the Chaos Heart.

Their union had almost destroyed all of the worlds. But, somehow, she figured it could have been avoided. Perhaps if she had really loved Bowser?

It was too late now, although their marriage was still binding.

"The dress wasn't _so_ bad," Peach mused out loud, drawing Bowser's attention. He chuckled, shaking his head.

"I doubt anything would look bad on you, Peach."

".. Is it awesome yet?"

Bowser blinked at the sudden question. "Huh?"

"You said it would be awesome when we got married. Is it?" Peach was looking down at the silk sheets, smoothing her hand across it as if gliding it across water.

A large grin spread across Bowser's face, and his hand moved to cover hers. "Yeah. I get to call you my wife, so of course it's awesome! Even more awesome than I am!"

Peach smiled, looking at his large hand. It was radiating warmth onto hers, and his body was so close now, despite how large the bed was. She had no doubts that he intended to try to sleep beside her tonight.

But..

She didn't know if she could.

When she looked at the bed, she thought about who else had slept there. There was a large portion of Bowser's life that she knew nothing about. How _did_ he get that many kids? Who else had he loved-- if he even loved her? For all she knew, it was just lust he felt.

"Is something on your mind?" Bowser queried when he realized her smile had faded. However, he didn't dare take his hand away unless she pulled away first.

"Actually.." She trailed off, glancing over at his face. Their eyes met, but she couldn't hold his gaze; it felt like he was searching deep inside her, and she couldn't take the intensity.

"Uh huh? What is it, Peachy?"

"Well.. It's probably not any of my business, but.. Were you ever married before now?"

Peach could hear his intake of breath, see his nostrils flare to accommodate it. She was staring at his snout, not daring to look above it. Silence stretched for a moment, before he slowly took his hand away from hers, leaving it cold.

"Yeah," he said, shoving his hand through his fiery mane of hair. "I was."

* * *

A/N: Looking back on my other chapters, my writing-style has changed a lot since 2007. I got a lot of positive feedback for the last chapter, so I'm hoping it's for the better.. Although, I _do_ tend to ramble on different tangents depending on what I feel like writing about, rather than what I planned. A good example is that wedding flashback up there, although I didn't go into a lot of detail on that one.  
On a better note, this story finally--_finally_-- has a plot with an obstacle to overcome! I initially didn't plan on Mario becoming that obstacle, but when I started thinking about his adventureless dilemma, it just sorta happened!

Also, Razzi, your review made my day! I'm re-reading your BowserxPeach fic, Change of Heart, but when I get to the latest chapters, I'll be sure to give you joygasmic reviews. C:  
To anyone that hasn't read Change of Heart, but loves BowserxPeach, I highly recommend it. Click on my reviews and look for ebtwisty9. Yes, shameless plug, but I'm just so pumped after reading through it again!

Yes, long author's note, I know, but if anyone that reviews has a BowserxPeach fic of their own, or anything with those characters, please let me know. I'll be sure to read and review!


	7. The Other Woman

_**Disclaimer**: You know the drill; I don't own Bowsy or any of the Mario characters. However, I just acquired cosplay costumes of Bowser and Peach. C:_

_**A/N**: You're not dreaming! I'm still alive, and this is an update! I'm through making promises. Honestly, I was at work and bored, and I decided to check this story. I saw that I had a ton of reviews I hadn't seen before, and they made me realize just how much I missed this story. Then, I checked my messages and Porky2 was reminding me to update. I lied to him about when I was going to have it out, and I'm so sorry about that! He continued to message me about it, as early as yesterday, and I'm so grateful for it. I've had four pages typed up for the longest time, so I opened the file and started typing. I just want to thank everyone for their support again. If I start to slack off, please send me messages telling me to update. I need the reminders!_

_Also, did anyone go to AWA? My husband and I went as Peach and Bowser, with a whole Mario entourage! Be sure to tell me if any of you go to conventions in the Southeast!_

* * *

He heard her sharp inhalation, almost like a reverse gasp, yet his attention was focused on a random point on the wall across the room. He couldn't meet her gaze any more than she could meet his. The mood was ruined in that instant, he realized, the comfortable physical contact of their hands gone. In fact, she appeared even more distant, her knees drawn even closer to her chest, her body unconsciously trying to shield her from the news.

"Oh," Peach said into the silence, her melodic voice light. "I kind of figured that, but I never knew for certain. I mean, I never met her, but.." She broke off, as if trying to find a phrase she liked. Finally, she settled for something vague. "The kids.."

Bowser suppressed a shudder, trying not to think of what his wife was probably imagining him do. "Yeah," he muttered, nodding, his gaze still averted although he could watch her in his peripheral. "It was over before I started kidnapping you again." It had actually been over for less than a week, but he didn't mention that.

Blonde and pink shifted from the corner of his eye, and he could tell she was trying to get the nerve to voice her curiosity. He tried not to sigh, although it wasn't a conversation he wanted to get into.

"What was her name?" Peach finally asked, lacing her fingers together around her knees.

"Clawdia," he answered automatically, no extra hints of emotion tinging the word like it did when he said _Peach. _

She didn't notice. "How did you meet?"

"We were pen pals," he answered, his voice completely serious. After a pregnant pause, he finally dragged his gaze to Peach, to find her openly gaping at him. Instantly, his expression lit up, a broad grin cracking the stoic mask. "Got'cha!"

Peach scrunched up her face, shoving his arm. He didn't even budge. "Be serious!"

"What? Don't I look like the type that can write a love letter or two?" He was still grinning teasingly.

"No," she answered without hesitation. The only letters she had ever read from him were either directed at the Mario brothers, daring them to come rescue their princess, or written for her, declaring a future kidnapping on the horizon and his intentions of marriage. There had never been a hint of romanticism; his declarations were egocentric and full of his own boastings.

His crimson gaze turned wary, his grin faltering around the edges. The queen realized her expression wasn't what he had hoped for- her lips were pulled down slightly in the beginnings of a frown- so she quickly amended that with what she hoped was a light-hearted smile. His didn't change.

"You got me," he returned to his story, running his claws absently over the silk sheets. Crimson optics drifted to the ripples of fabric he created, looking for any excuse not to watch her. Her gaze followed suit, pretending to be drawn to the motion. "I don't think I've ever written a romantic letter in my life. Although, some of the ones I sent you.." She could hear the grin in his voice, which somehow, made a giggle ripple up her throat. Luckily, she managed to contain it. The mattress shifted slightly with the motion of what she assumed was his shrug. "Anyway, we met at my 'coming of age' party, I guess you would call it. It was my own coronation."

Peach blinked, her curious gaze forgetting that it was trying to avoid him. Instead, it betrayed her by flying to his eyes, which were still staring sightlessly at the motion of his hand. "You were king before you were married?" she inquired. In the Mushroom Kingdom, Peach had to be married to move up from the role of princess. Of course, that was because she was a female, but she hadn't quite put two and two together.

"How many princes do you know ruling kingdoms? Wait, don't answer that." Bowser shook his head, not wanting to think of any princes coming to win over her hand before his kidnappings started. "In Darkland, there needs to be a king. I didn't ever have to hitched for it, though. As soon as I was a teenager, I was old enough. 'course, I had already been making all the decisions as a koopaling." He grinned a toothy grin, and Peach imagined he wanted to laugh maniacally at his memories. She knew he had always been the ruler; there was no other way a kingdom would take up arms to fight off two toddlers and a couple of yoshis just because a kid wanted to kidnap a blonde baby.

There was a stretch of silence, and Peach realized she was going to have to keep prompting him to tell her. A part of her wondered if asking was taking it too far- or if she _really_ wanted to know. But, her curiosity got the best of her.

_Didn't curiosity kill the goomba?_ Bowser had once told her that, she recalled.

"So, you met at the ceremony?"

Bowser nodded. "Yeah. She was a bit older than me, but she stood out, compared to other koopas. For one, she didn't worship me like most of the kingdom." He laughed lowly, fidgeting with the sheets now. Peach quirked an eyebrow; she thought he would have wanted an adoring wife that worshipped the ground he walked on. But, she remained silent, letting him continue. "We were both rude and tried to ignore each other, even though Kamek had purposely seated us together to eat afterward." The magikoopa had thought he was doing His Evilness a favor by playing match-maker. It would help him get over the little blonde girl he couldn't seem to forget. "We ended up fighting, and she just wouldn't shut up."

There was another moment of silence, as Bowser skimmed over the details he didn't want to tell his wife. The memory was still vivid, ranked up there with his various favorites of Peach. Clawdia had ended up standing, facing off with him, her crimson eyes alight with rage. He had nearly been growling, yet his teenage hormones still registered that she was quite the attractive koopa. She had been slender, where most koopas were standard round, her frame giving her hips and bosom a more defined curve. Her electric blue hair had looked almost exactly like Ludwig's, only in a more modern, manageable style. The shell on her back was petite and red, bringing out her eyes- and the fury that danced there.

In that moment, he had forgotten about the crystalline blue eyes that were usually filled with tears.

"Oh." Peach focused on her locked fingers, using one to toy with her ring. Suddenly, she hoped the ring wasn't a hand-me-down, although she didn't dare inquire about that. Although she wasn't sure she wanted to keep talking about Bowser's past, she couldn't stop just yet. "When did you get married?"

"A year after we met. Maybe two," he confessed, tilting his head as if he was trying to get a better concept of time. He had married young, but in that short time, he had eight children. Right before they split, Clawdia had said it had been teenage hormones that drove Bowser on. He had concluded that she was probably right.

Peach nodded, although she was busy trying to figure out the math in her head. How long did it take before they had kids? Why did they have so many? What did koopas use for birth-control? How old were the koopalings during the divorce? How long had he been married? How old was he when he became a father? What happened to Clawdia?

She concluded that he was probably around fifteen when he was married, since she thought Ludwig was at least twelve. But, that would make Bowser a very young father- which was both true and perfectly acceptable for koopas. Peach chose not to ask Bowser to double-check her math; she didn't want to know the specifics.

However, she did want to know about the divorce. "Why did you get a divorce?"

Bowser sighed as she asked the million-coin question. His brow furrowed slightly; he didn't really want to tell her all the details. In the end, it had come down to Peach, honestly. Clawdia felt second to his first "infatuation." She became sick of the way the koopa king collected Toad Town news clippings of Peach's progress, as well as the fact he bought a Princess Peach plush doll in secret. As much as he wanted to say he loved Clawdia after nearly nine years of marriage, he didn't know. He loved his kids, but his heart..

Clawdia always said it was just physical between them. She claimed to love Bowser's personality, his confidence and his brash leadership. But, as soon as Bowser Junior was hatched, she changed bedrooms. Months later, she left, but only after setting fire to his Peach collection. He had never seen her again.

How could he tell Peach that his wife left him because he was "infatuated" with another woman- _her_?

"Things just didn't work out," he finally surmised, being vague. "I didn't love her, and she didn't really love me."

The blonde merely blinked in response, as if unable to wrap her mind around that answer. After a long pause, Bowser finally looked over at her, blinking himself when he was unable to read her strange expression. "What?" he cautiously asked, crossing his arms as if to shield himself.

"You didn't love her, but you.. you had eight kids together?" Peach felt herself blush at her own train of thought, which caused Bowser to try and hold back impending laughter. The vibrations on the bed gave him away, only serving to deepen the red tint to her face.

"Did becoming a married woman give you a dirty mind?" Bowser teased, his baritone rumble full of suppressed laughter. However, his ribbing made Peach frown instead of giving him the smile he had wished to see. But, then again, when did the Star Spirits ever grant his wishes?

"No!" she protested, turning her head away from him, to face the opposite wall. "It did not. I just don't understand the concept of not loving someone, but.. but still having.. se- _kids_." Her hands balled into her pajama bottoms, her abashment tinged with irritation. She hoped he didn't catch her slip.

The koopa heavily sighed, hot air blasting from his flared nostrils. Peach was so pure and innocent. She had never really hated anyone, not even him or Mimi or any other countless villains. She was untouched, pure of heart, mind, and body. She had probably never even been kissed, aside from the ones she issued to Mario's cheek.

Bowser, on the other hand, was malicious and somewhat evil. He was brash and didn't think twice about starting an all-out war. He would go to the end of the worlds for a little blonde that only wished for his failure. He was corrupt, had eight kids that loved being bad, and he longed his whole life for that pure and innocent girl.

It was no wonder their marriage unleashed the Chaos Heart.

"It's called lust," he finally said, the bed shifting as he shrugged. "She was hot as far as koopas go. Not as smoking as me, but not half-bad, either."

He saw Peach flinch. "Oh," she murmured, almost under her breath. "Lust."

He nodded slowly. "Yeah. It's what you're feeling right now, just being close to me. Embrace it, Peachy." A grin had spread across his lips, though he doubted his remark would go over well. He just wanted to keep the mood light; this discussion was taking too serious of a turn.

The queen crossed her arms over her chest, still facing away from him. "That is most certainly _not_ what I'm feeling right now." In fact, she wasn't even sure what she was feeling. Her chest was tight, like a coil was wrapped around her, stealing away her breath. She was trying to block out the thoughts of Bowser with his "hot" koopa wife, but they hammered away at her mental wall, shaking loose the foundation. She knew her feelings were absurd- Peach certainly didn't _ask_ to be Bowser's wife; she didn't love him- but the hurt remained. _What a silly, fickle girl I am,_ she mentally chided herself.

Bowser grasped Peach's chin tenderly between his large claws, forcing her to finally look at him. Her gaze flew to his snout, refusing to meet his eyes. "Hey," he started, his grin faltering completely. "What's wrong, Peach?" The question was but a murmur on his lips, soft and soothing. The blonde realized that she was worrying him over something stupid- and she couldn't very well tell him what she had been thinking about- so she finally dragged her crystalline optics to his. The fire in his crimson gaze had been doused, muted by undisguised concern. Peach carefully tucked her disturbing revelations (such as how much it actually bothered her that he had been married before her, and that Bowser- _Bowser_, of all tyrants!- actually felt things like _lust_) into a box in the farthest recesses of her mind for later accession.

"Nothing," she replied, wincing at how flat her usually-melodic voice came out. "I was just wondering what ever happened to her. I didn't think our kingdoms assented to things like divorce or annulment." That was how they ended up bound together, after all.

Bowser slowly released her chin, the concern in his gaze melting into relief. A flicker of his usually intensity returned. "Oh, that's nothing. Everyone thinks she's dead. You can remarry if your spouse dies, so that's why I'm a free man."

"Dead?" Peach echoed, frowning at the way he said it so easily, as if her being dead would be a load off his shoulders. "But.. But, she's _not_ dead, is she?" The thought horrified her.

He shook his head, his fiery mane brushing the ivory rim of his shell. "No, no." His hands raised palm-up, as if trying to abate the horrified glaze seeping into her stare. "She knew we couldn't get a divorce. So, she set it up that she was killed in an accident at one of the castles we were constructing. For a moment, I thought she actually _had_ died.. But she wasn't that cruel." Bowser's expression was somber, as he recalled the guilt and dread that had pitted in his stomach like an iron ball upon hearing the news. "She sent a letter afterward, claiming she had gone to another kingdom, changed her name, and was running for a political position or something." She had also added _You're free at last. Are you happy?_

The news that she wasn't dead after all still hadn't cleared the troubled expression from Peach's face, though. Bowser sighed, heavily enough for a puff of hot air to hit Peach's face. She frowned, her brow furrowing. "If everyone thinks she's dead.. Then how do the koopalings see her?"

Why, oh why, did Peach have to care enough to keep beating the subject, trying to squeeze out as much information as possible? Sure, she was cutting out the more-private questions that shouldn't even burn in her mind—maybe being married _did_ give her a dirty mind?—but certainly Bowser didn't want to have to answer everything about his past relationship. Well, she had the right to know.. didn't she?

Bowser's expression had morphed so suddenly, it startled her. Peach could have sworn she saw him snarl before he checked his burst of anger and tempered it back to a stern grimace. "They don't. She can't come back here. She's supposed to be dead."

Peach didn't quite understand. "So.. she hasn't seen them since then?"

"No," he ground out, his jaw tight.

"But.. she left all eight of them.. just like that?" The idea appalled her to the point that she felt sick. In the time she had spent in Darkland, the koopalings had grown on her. She felt a maternal instinct to protect them, and it wasn't just because they fondly referred to her as 'Mama Peach.' Even if they loved being bad, they weren't _bad_ kids. How could their own mother just.. leave them?

"Yeah. I guess she wanted away from me that bad." His throat was constricted, the words cynical. Peach realized she had just picked at an old wound.

"It has nothing to do with you!" she insisted, reaching out to grab his large hand again, without thinking. His gaze focused, the shadows lurking in the depths seeming to recede. "You're a wonderful father." Had she really just admitted that? He was bringing them up to be 'bad', not to mention completely spoiled. She was stroking his ego, but this conversation was taking a dangerously-dark turn.

His hand turned over, palm-up, gently cupping hers. "I know," he replied confidently, his trademark cocky grin gracing his mouth once more. "And you'll make a wonderful mother."

Peach's expression nearly faltered, but she managed to taper the surge of thoughts back enough to force a smile. He seemed content enough that he didn't notice. "It's.. getting late, Bowser." It may have been a cop-out, trying to end the conversation, but she really _was_ tired—even if she doubted she would get much sleep. There was just too much on her mind.

Her husband nodded sagely. "Yeah, it's pretty late." He released her hand with one last squeeze and then made a show of slowly lying back on the bed. His grin had widened, spreading across his entire face, and he pat the mattress beside him. The blonde royal was already shaking her head. "C'mon, Peachy. We're married. Just sleep beside me! There's plenty of room in the bed," he insisted, though he tried to keep from being too pushy.

Peach's face was alight with abashment; her cheeks nearly matched the color of his gaze. "No, Bowser," she protested automatically.

"The bed's so big that you won't even know I'm here," Bowser pressed, testing to see how far he could push it. He nearly jumped for joy when she hesitated, even if he could still see the conflict in her gaze. She was so innocent.. He was almost positive she would deny him, and the _almost_ merely came from his own burning hope. If she consented, he wouldn't touch her; he would stay on his own side.

At least.. until he was sure she was asleep.

Her blush had intensified; she knew he would start pressing their sleeping arrangements sooner or later. She was considered the 'wife of the awesome king of Darkland', and said awesome king had been dreaming of this moment for many years. Even if he promised to sleep on the other side, she knew if she fell asleep, she would wake up in his muscular arms; she may be naïve, but she wasn't stupid. Agreeing to share the bed with him would mean agreeing to cuddle.

But, after hearing so much about his previous marriage—and how, according to him, his eight children were conceived not of love, but of lust—Peach just couldn't bring herself to consent. It was too big of a step. "No, Bowser.. I.. I can't.."

The burly king sat up, not looking phased in the least. He had expected it, of course, but at least he made his intentions for the future evident. "All right, tomorrow night, then." Just as she opened her mouth to deny it, he continued, "I'll sleep on the floor beside you tonight."

"No, you slept on the floor last night," she stated, thinking of how he had slept next to her charred bed. They had insisted he had still been comfortable, that beds didn't _really_ matter to koopas, but she still felt guilty. "I'll just take a guest bed and let you have yours back."

Bowser was already sliding onto the floor. "No," he replied sternly, making it clear that wasn't even an option. "My wife is going to have only the finest luxuries, and that's _this _bed."

Peach shifted to the edge, peering over at him. He was lying on his side, facing her so his bulky spiked shell was positioned away from the bed. For a moment, she wondered if he would have taken off his shell to sleep next to her. When he had laid down a moment ago, it had still been on.. and, surprisingly, it hadn't ripped the satin sheets. Did he ever take it off? She could imagine he would look strange without it.. and decided not to voice her train of thought. "Fine, but why do you have to be so stubborn? Why do you have to sleep on the floor?"

He propped his head up with his hand, his bent elbow resting against the floor. "Simple. I want to sleep by you."

His statement didn't shock her; she had expected something like that. But, it _did_ touch her that he really meant it. He was never scared of saying what was on his mind, even if it meant boisterously announcing his intentions of marriage time and time again. All those times, she had rejected him, but instead of getting hurt, her words had glanced off like water and he hadn't given up. Deep down, she admired him for that; she was never as honest about her feelings—or else the kingdom wouldn't have mistaken her and Mario as a couple.

"Oh fine," she finally murmured, lying back to pull the covers around her body. From below, she could hear his chuckle. "Good night, Bowser."

"G'night, my darling wife. Sleep tight, and don't let the goombas bite." She suppressed a laugh with her hand, reaching over to turn off the lamp with the other. Darkness swallowed everything in the room, except for a very faint glow coming from the window of the lava pits surrounding the castle. At one point, there was a neon sign affixed to the castle that used to keep her awake, but thankfully, Bowser grew tired of the glow as well and had it torn down.

Peach closed her eyes. Why couldn't her mind seem to rest? Now, in the darkness of the room, where she and Bowser became nothing but disjoined voices instead of beings, her mind was free to mull over the earlier conversation. She was expected to be a mother to eight koopalings. That, she had already known. But to think that most of them couldn't even remember Clawdia—that she would be the sole maternal influence on their lives—was a little overwhelming. Certainly, it was a lot of pressure. She had always wanted children, of course, but.. she had always imagined her own to be human. Now, she had eight, without even having to go through childbirth—or laying eggs, as she imagined koopas were born.

So, she would have to do her best. That much was already settled. All she had to do now was figure out what she was going to do about Bowser. His last marriage had been more.. fulfilling, it seemed, if that was the word for it. Her face flushed, and she covered it with both of her hands, as if that could erase the thought. Her heart had sped up, the butterflies in her stomach returning to flutter around in their confines. Why did she get so flustered? It wasn't as if she and _Bowser_ would ever..

_Ugh, stop thinking. Just stop thinking!_ Peach pleaded with herself internally. She had never even been kissed, and she was thinking about the prospect of.. of _martial activities_! Undoubtedly, she should have never read those romance novels she had procured from a Darkland vendor. But, the ones about the Shy Guys and Shy Girls were so juicy!

_Stop it!_ She had to shut her mind down if she was going to get any sleep—and she shouldn't be thinking of this with Bowser right next to her, anyway, even if he was on the floor. Guilt washed over her again; she really didn't want him to be uncomfortable because of her. She knew _she_ could never sleep on the floor.. and even the times when she was a young teenager and he had been a little more maniacal with his kidnappings, she had never been forced to sleep on the floor.

Great. Now she felt like a villain in her very own melodrama. She sighed, dragging her hands from her face to ball at her sides. Taking in a deep breath, she prayed to the Star Spirits that her voice wouldn't come out shaky.

"Oh, fine. Bowser, you can sleep in the bed tonight…"

There was a long pause where she suspected he was fighting the urge to jump up and down, pumping his fists in the air. However, that pause lasted a little too long, her nerves a little too shot to wait.

"Bowser..?"

Her answer was an abrupt, loud snort, followed by some contented sleeping grumbles. Peach jerked at the sudden noise, but when her mind processed it, she felt more embarrassed than ever. He was asleep! How could he sleep so comfortably on the floor while she struggled on the soft, plush mattress?

Sighing, she rolled so she was facing the edge of the bed. "Sweet dreams, Bowser.." she muttered, closing her eyes.

This time, sleep managed to claim her.

* * *

"Rise and shine, darling!"

The young blonde queen groaned, pulling the deep crimson-red comforter over her head to block out the sound. The words had lost all meaning; all she knew was that she could not sleep last night, so she planned on staying in bed the entire morning. "Five more minutes," she murmured on impulse, desperately wishing he was not so stubborn _just this once!_

The bed sank in under sudden, added weight, though the mattress was supportive enough that she did not roll towards her husband. The sudden feeling of something pulling- claws- on the wayward tendrils of blonde hair sticking to the satin pillow case produced a stiffening in her spine, though the young queen kept her eyes squeezed shut.

"Okay, I'll watch you sleep for five more minutes," came the gruff, yet surprisingly tender response. _That_ made her blue hues reveal themselves, ungloved fingers clenching in the fabric of the comforter. With a jerk, she threw back the blanket and propped herself up with an elbow to focus a groggy gaze on his cheerful face.

"Have you been watching me sleep, Bowser?" she inquired, trying to keep her tone even. His smirk was answer enough. "Why are you in such a cheerful mood, anyway? Was it that nice to sleep on the floor?"

Bowser's lips twitched, yet his cockily cheerful expression refused to waver. "Oh, it was an awesome time sleeping next to the _warm_ bed! But Wendy and Junior seem to have something for you."

"..What might that be?" He had her attention now; she was still pretty tired, but memories of Junior rushing away from her still seeped in. Although he had apologized—through Bowser—she still felt as if she had let him down by not taking better care of the bandanna.

"I don't know," Bowser replied, although by his expression, he was obviously lying and obviously pleased at whatever his kids had cooked up. "Why don't you go to Wendy's room and see for yourself?"

Peach stretched her arms above her head, fighting a yawn. "All right. Just let me get dressed, okay?" When he didn't move a muscle, she pointed toward the door. "Out, Bowser!"

"Oh, you wanted privacy? I didn't notice," he feigned innocence with a chuckle and rose to leave. Pausing at the doorway, he tossed, "I'll be in the dining hall when you get finished" over his shoulder, and then shut the door. The blonde shook her head slightly, trying not to laugh, as she slowly got up from the bed to get dressed.

When she emerged from the bedroom, she was refreshed; her hair was brushed, her make-up was expertly applied, and she was wearing her usual pink regal gown, her crown set perfectly atop her head. She made her way to Wendy's room, her heels producing muted clicks along the plush crimson carpet. After a couple of turns down the corridors she sadly knew by heart, she reached the solid-pink door and knocked.

"It's, like, open!" came the muffled reply. Peach pushed the door open, blinking as she noticed Wendy and Junior sitting on the edge of a plush bed, as if they had been waiting on her. Junior was fidgeting, holding a rectangular box in his lap. They both stared at her as she paused in the doorway.

"I heard you wanted to see me?" Peach prompted, and Wendy nudged Junior in the side with her elbow.

"Like, go on!" she whispered loudly, Junior standing, his gaze on the ground.

"I'm.. sorry, Mama Peach. I know it wasn't your fault." Slowly, his crimson optics, so much like his father's, drifted up to tentatively meet Peach's. A small smile curved her lips, and she crouched in front of him, reaching out to touch his cheek.

"I'm sorry, too, Junior. I should have been more careful with it," she murmured, while Junior shook his head.

"No. No, it was that stupid Mario." Peach opened her mouth to protest, to insist that it was both Mario _and_ Bowser, but Junior quickly thrust the box forward. "Here."

The blonde blinked, gently taking the box and lifting the lid. Her gaze flew from the object, back to Junior's face, her expression one of open confusion. "How..?" Wendy laughed from the bed, and Junior grinned.

"Well? Do you like it?" Junior prompted.

Gingerly, Peach lifted a square of white fabric from the box and unfolded it. Some parts were a pristine ivory, while others were marred by fire, gray and black. There were heavy, uneven stitches combining the two sections, and the parts of the design that had been burned away were expertly painted back in place. The sight quickly became blurred, as tears rapidly gathered in her sapphire hues.

"I love it," she managed, drawing the little koopa into her arms.

* * *

"Master Mario! I simply cannot thank you _enough_ for coming to our aid!"

The rotund plumber smiled at the elderly toad, straightening his trademark cap. "It's-a no problem-o."

"No—it really means everything to us. We'd be lost without your outstanding services!"

"Don't mention it." Mario's smile tightened beneath his magnificent 'stache. Toadsworth was laying it on unusually thick this morning—perhaps he had figured out the current source of Mario's frustration. Was the toad trying to make him feel better, by boasting his unique skills, making him seem needed by the kingdom? Or was he simply afraid that the hero would move, becoming a vagabond for adventure?

Either way, it didn't make Mario feel better.

"Where is-a the problem?" the hero inquired, ready to boldly face the issue head-on.

"Oh! Yes, yes, of course, right this way," Toadsworth muttered in a rush, turning to lead Mario through the main lobby, to the thick double-doors they both knew so well. Thoughts of an adventure long-since passed hummed through Mario.. How he longed for a world where he traveled through paintings to unseen worlds, collecting Power Stars to unseal doors.

Shortly, they arrived in front of a basement door, to which Toadsworth motioned. Mario nodded briefly and then opened the door, his lips twitching under his mustache at the sight. Inside, a pipe was dripping steadily at its connection to another, a small puddle of water beneath it.

"Again, we can't thank you enough for your prompt response, Master Mario. If this issue had gone unaddressed for much longer, the castle's water bill would have been outrageous!" The steward sounded horrified at the prospect, although they both knew that the drip was so small that the large reserves of the kingdom wouldn't have even noticed the extra charge. Had Toadsworth checked all the pipes in the castle, until he found one barely leaking, just to give Mario something to do?

"It's-a no problem-o," Mario cheerily replied, smiling at the elderly toad, until Toadsworth took his leave. Sighing, the plumber entered the room, pulled a wrench from his toolbox and tightened the connection until there was no longer any signs of the leak. It was a simple, thirty-second fix, one that he never had gotten called about in the past. How had he gone from hero to handyman so quickly?

He sighed, absently checking the other pipes, making sure the job was thoroughly completed. All night, he had thought about how he would get his adventure back, how he would make Peach beg for his help again. Then, it had hit him- the perfect plan. It had come to him in a whisper of his subconscious, something so perfect, that it was foolproof.

That morning, he had sent a letter and started the wheels in motion.

Finally, he left the basement and made his way out of the castle, declining the coins Toadsworth offered him for his services.

All too soon, he wouldn't need them. He would be a hero again.

* * *

Peach stood beside the dining hall's table, the koopalings and their father already seated and digging into their food. Bowser quirked a bushy brow as his wife cleared her throat to get his attention, her gaze toward the hallway.

"What is it, love?" he inquired around a mouthful of bacon.

"Why in the world is a koopa dragging my suitcase down the hall?" She slanted a glance his way, watching him grin.

"Because we're going on a trip. All of us!" he announced to his kids, whom all began excitedly yelling out where they wanted to go.

Peach slowly sank into her chair, now looking directly at Bowser. "Without consulting me first? What if I don't want to go?"

The king shrugged, shoving his mouth full of food. After a few chews, he replied, "I _know_ you, Peachy. I know where you like to go."

"Oh?" She quirked a slender brow. "And where might that be?"

He grinned again, as cocky as ever. "The Mushroom Kingdom, of course."

* * *

_**A/N:** And that ends this chapter. I know, I know; it wasn't exciting and nothing happened. I wanted to end it before they actually went to the kingdom, however, because it sets up for Mario's plan. It took me forever to actually come up with his plan, but I'm actually really excited to write it- although it's stressful to think about what's going to happen- but hopefully, it won't be a year or two until an update. The next chapter is set out perfectly in my head, so I'm going to start working on it tomorrow. If I make a promise as to when it will be released, I know I'll lie, so I'm just going to project it to be within the next couple of weeks since the chapter is going to be so juicy._

_Again, thank you all for your continued reading. I cherish all of your reviews, I really do._

_Out of curiosity, who's hoping for them to finally 'consummate' their marriage? xD_


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